Seeing Double
by naarna
Summary: Double double, toil and trouble... How a set of twins meeting the first time at a Quidditch camp changes everything in the lives of both Draco and Hermione. A tale of second chances and mending families. (Submission to the Dramione Remix 2018)
1. Letters And Games

**Seeing Double**

This was written for the Dramione Remix 2018, and originally posted to AO3.

The prompt was Nick/Elizabeth from the film "Parent Trap", although I did adapt a few details to make it fit better into the wizarding world.

Many many thanks to all those who helped me shape this into an enjoyable story! Much love to you all!

* * *

..

It was one of those sweltering summer days in Paris when even the lightest piece of clothing would stick to your skin from all the sweat. Hermione had cast several Cooling Spells in her study at home, but she could still sense the heat creeping in underneath.

She envied her daughter who was enjoying a swim in their pool, her laughter drifting through the open windows. It didn't exactly help Hermione's concentration, despite her efforts to stay focused on the urgent documents in front of her.

Sometimes the French Ministry was worse than even the British when it came to bureaucracy, though they were much more charming and easier to work with on a daily basis. The gated wizarding community she lived in near Bois de Boulogne had a surprisingly relaxed, slightly bohemian atmosphere, as if time had stood still in this corner of the city.

"Iris, please, I'm trying work here!" Hermione shouted in exasperation when the laughter of her daughter grew louder and disrupted her concentration once again. With a sigh, she got up to look out of the window after recasting the Cooling Spells on the room.

"Hey, Mu-Maman!" Iris waved at her with the biggest smile she could muster, before she continued to splash and dive in the water with the joy of a child on a summer day. "Come on and join me! You promised!"

"Later, sweetheart," Hermione replied, barely resisting the temptation to jump into the pool with her clothes on still. Instead she spared a few more minutes to watch Iris, hating the fact that her high-ranking job at the French Ministry claimed so much of the time that she would rather spend with her daughter. Summer always passed too fast, and this one seemed especially fleeting, as Iris had been away for most of July at a prestigious Quidditch camp in Ireland.

Maybe they could do a short mother-daughter trip to the country before she had to leave for school in September and the house, once again, was left empty and entirely too big. Hermione wished she didn't have to let Iris go; she was tired of letting go of the people in her life. And the closer Iris' school start came, the more Hermione thought about those she had left behind in Britain—especially Harry and his family, who had always welcomed her with open arms. But it also brought up memories of her ex-husband and his family, who had been the reason she chose to leave the country and accept the offer from the French Ministry.

But above everyone else, she missed Amaranthe.

"Madame?"

Pulled from her musings while watching Iris outside, Hermione turned around to find her maid, Ernestine, standing in the doorway with her usual soft smile. Ernestine was the heart of the house and ran it effortlessly; Hermione and Iris adored her.

"A letter for you just arrived, Madame. Looks important." Ernestine held up a nicely folded piece of parchment before handing it over.

"Merci," Hermione replied with a sigh, expecting that it was likely just another important document that needed her notes and signatures."You wouldn't mind bringing me a snack and something to drink, s'il vous plait?"

"Pas de problème, Madame. _La petite_ already asked for ice cream."

"Ice cream! Gods, I could do with a bowl of your red currant ice cream." Hermione let out another sigh, this time imagining the slightly sour taste of the red currants against the sweetness of the homemade ice cream.

Delicious was not an adequate word for it—not by a long shot. It was something even better.

"A bowl of ice cream for Madame it is," Ernestine said with a chuckle. "Why not take a break and come down to the kitchen for it?"

Hermione nodded, smiling in anticipation and holding up the letter. "I'm just going to read this first to see if it requires an immediate response. You know how they are..."

"Yes."

Hermione watched Ernestine go before she opened the letter. She was surprised to find a second letter inside, next to a short note in Harry's hurried handwriting. His note stated only that he was passing the letter along, and urged her to read it immediately upon reception.

She didn't recognise the handwriting on the attached letter, but it was a beautifully flowing style— usually something she only found in notes from her elder co-workers. Curious now, she opened it.

..

_Dear Hermione,_

_I'm sure you are surprised to hear from me. I do not want to open old wounds—far from it. After all these years, I wish that we were on better terms. I wish I could change a few things in the past._

_Please do not be alarmed, even though the matter as to why I'm writing you is important, and it concerns your daughters. Yes, both of them. It seems that you and my son have both sent the girls to the same Quidditch camp in Ireland, where they inadvertently met._

_Those bright girls have switched places._

_My dear Eleanor has been staying with you since they've returned, and your Iris is here with us, charming her father as well as her grandfather. I only realised it this morning, and all I can say is thank you for raising such a wonderful girl._

_I wouldn't ask if I was able to solve the situation otherwise, but I think it might be necessary for you to come to England to rectify the situation. I'm in contact with your friend Mr. Potter should you have further questions. He is informed about the situation and was willing to relay this letter to you._

_I hope to see you soon in England. Give my Eleanor a hug!_

_Narcissa Malfoy_

_.._

When Hermione finally made it down to the kitchen, her knees felt weak and she was still trying to comprehend the words in the letter; she was completely overwhelmed and her mind was desperate to understand what this could possibly mean for all of them.

"Maman, you took so long... Ernestine had to put a Stasis Spell on yours."

"_Ben_, your mother works 'ard enough," the maid replied with a click of her tongue, though she was unable to hold back a small smirk. "So that you can 'ave a great room, and swim in the pool when it's 'ot like this."

Hermione watched the banter between her daughter and her maid. Focusing on the girl, she realized she could pick out small details that could have tipped her off that this wasn't Iris. But mostly Hermione noticed how much the girls looked alike—enough to fool everyone around them. The same platinum blonde hair, the same freckles, and the same dark brown eyes with a mischievous spark in them.

However, the girl sitting at her table had a small scar on her arm— Iris didn't have one. And this girl had a slightly different pronunciation to the French words she spoke; Iris spoke like a native with Ernestine, but the girl in front of her now spoke with an accent— although it was slight enough to easily miss.

After a deep breath, Hermione finally scooped up a spoonful of her ice cream, letting it melt in her mouth as she continued to stare at her daughter. It had been such a long time since she had left England, and she had felt constant guilt about leaving her behind with _his_ family. She never thought she'd ever see her again, and now the girl sat here at the table with her, smiling and enjoying her day.

Her vision started to blur ever so slightly so she quickly wiped her eyes, swallowing hard in an attempt to loosen the knot in her throat.

"Maman?"

"Madame, you look like you've seen a ghost..."

Slightly startled, Hermione shook her head, unable to hold back a happy smile. "Not a ghost. Just someone I thought I'd never see again."

"M-Maman, what do you mean?"

"You're not Iris, right? You're her sister, Amaranthe."

Instead of replying, the girl scraped the remains of her ice cream from her bowl, the sound of it filling the whole kitchen as everyone had fallen silent. She eventually nodded, the spoon still between her lips. "Eleanor. I'm Eleanor. I don't like the other name."

Wiping her eyes again, Hermione nodded. She was grateful to Ernestine for putting the bowls away before leaving the kitchen. "Eleanor–"

"I always wanted to meet you," the girl said in a quiet voice when they were finally alone in the kitchen, avoiding Hermione's gaze. "Dad never speaks about you, but he still has an old crumpled picture of you in his room. And then... And then I met Iris at the camp, and she said she always wanted to meet Dad because you never mention him either."

"Oh, Eleanor!" Hermione moved to the seat beside her daughter, pulling her into an embrace. "You have no idea how much I missed you! I had no choice back then, I wanted to take both of you with me–"

"Why didn't you?"

Hermione shook her head, unable to say anything, as the memory of the divorce all those years ago was still too painful to talk about.

"Mum..." Eleanor held on tight to her mother's form, her voice muffled by her summer clothes. "We're not mad at you."

"I missed you so, so much, my dear!" After another deep breath, Hermione let go again to have a closer look. "Gods, you look just like Iris–"

"I have more freckles."

Hermione chuckled and wiped a tear off her cheek. "Yes. I love them."

"Are-Are you going to just switch us back?" Eleanor asked, a hint of fear entering her voice, her dark brown eyes widening.

"I don't know yet, my dear," Hermione replied, brushing through her daughter's hair in a comforting gesture. "All it means right now is that we have to go back to England, and that I have to talk to your father about it. Maybe we can find another solution for both of you… who knows."

* * *

..

Over the following days, Hermione was busy organising everything for her return to England while trying to keep herself together. She had managed to take a long well-deserved vacation— after a short fight with her superiors— as it had been on very short notice and the Ministry was already understaffed due to summer vacations.

But mostly, Hermione was panicking about having to meet Draco and his family again, and about having to talk to them once more after the painful divorce that still stung in her heart whenever she thought about it.

"Madame, calmez-vous," Ernestine said with a worried tone as she entered the master bedroom on the first floor, where Hermione was walking around hastily, throwing out half her wardrobe. "Sit down and let me 'elp you."

Hermione only stopped when her maid reached for her hands to lead her to the bed to sit down. "I don't know what to pack. It's been such a long time since I've seen him and I simply don't know how he'll react."

With her usual soft smile, Ernestine briefly leaned down. "Madame, remember what his mother wrote in the letter—and what your friend said when you talked with him."

With a sigh, Hermione nodded. Between the desire to spend as much time as possible with her new-found daughter and organising the trip back to England, Hermione had contacted Harry at her first opportunity. He barely had any satisfying answers to her many questions but offered to let her stay at his place.

She just hoped that her former mother-in-law meant the words she had written in the letter, and that they could be on better terms. It would make everything so much easier.

Meanwhile, Ernestine went through the wardrobe, holding up different pieces of clothing, each time with a very solemn look. However, she smiled when she held up a short black dress that Hermione hadn't worn in years. "Parfait! This dress and you will wrap him around your little finger, Madame..."

"You think? It's so old–"

"Madame, good fashion never goes out of style. And you should show him what he has let go, _cet idiot_."

Now Hermione had to chuckle, glad for Ernestine's company and capable hands. "I wish you could come with us..."

"And who will take care of the 'ouse in the meantime?" Ernestine said as she closed the packed trunk and sat down next to Hermione, who sighed heavily. "D'accord... But I want my own chamber."

"You're a pearl," Hermione replied, feeling a weight taken off her shoulders. "Eleanor is ready?"

"We were just waiting for you, Madame."

* * *

..

Hermione had barely a day to settle at Harry's place before she found herself at the home stadium of the Holyhead Harpies, dragged along by a very enthusiastic Eleanor and followed, to her relief, by Harry.

"Come on, Mum, we're almost there..." Eleanor ran up the last couple of stairs to the level where Harry had his box with a good view over the pitch.

Reaching the level, Hermione had to stop and catch her breath; she was no longer used to climbing so many stairs at once despite her own regular running exercises. "I'm getting old..."

Harry laughed as he joined her at the top of the stairs. "It's just a couple of boxes down, then you can sit down."

"Why did I have to come along again? I could have read instead..." She followed him down the aisle and tried not to walk into the other spectators as they talked outside the boxes, oblivious to the stream of people being forced to walk around them.

"You'll see," Harry replied, a smirk playing on his lips. Hermione groaned at his vagueness, but she didn't have a chance to ask him further.

"Mum!"

"Maman!"

As they reached the entrance of Harry's box, Hermione was greeted by two girls storming towards her, tackling her in a tight hug. She wrapped her arms around them in response, happy to have her Iris back in her arms, together with Eleanor. Then her mind caught up with the situation.

"What— what are you doing here?" she asked Iris, letting go of them both. "I thought you were with your father–?"

"He's here too," Iris replied with a grin. "And he doesn't know yet that we switched. I'm still Eleanor to him. Our box is actually two doors down–"

"Oh gods!" Hermione uttered in surprised shock; she saw Harry disappear into the box to get ready for the game that was about to begin. "What the hell have you two planned? You can't just..."

"Mum, please," Iris replied, looking at her with puppy dog eyes. "He's nice. Like really nice. And I'm sure he won't be mad–"

"–just shocked to see us both."

"The game is starting any moment, ladies." Harry peeked out of his box with a smirk. "Better go back if you don't want him to see you just yet..."

"See you later." The twins hugged each other, before Iris ran back to her father's box, keeping up their charade while Eleanor pulled Hermione inside and got ready to watch the Harpies defeat their opponents, the Chudley Cannons.

..

And what a game it was. The Harpies not only defeated the Cannons— they destroyed them. Harry's ex, Ginny, scored goal after goal to loud cheers by the spectators. The Harpies' Seeker catching the Snitch was rather an act of mercy as the defeat could have been much higher otherwise.

"We won, we won, we wo-o-o-on!" Eleanor danced around in the box, cheering happily and trying to get the others in the box to join her. "And Ginny was easily the best player!"

Even though she wasn't as much into Quidditch as her daughters, Hermione enjoyed the game. She had listened to Eleanor explaining the tactics of the moves throughout the match, sometimes with a small sense of apprehension when she thought about the fact that her daughter might fly those moves as well. Her _eleven__-year-old_ daughter.

"Want to meet the team?" Harry offered as he rose to his feet, collecting his things.

Positively shocked, Eleanor froze momentarily before a giddy grin appeared on her face as she ran up to him with an excited hop. "Dad never lets me meet the team, even though we come to almost every game! And he even sponsors them..."

"Harry!" Hermione uttered as she got up to follow them outside, though she couldn't contain a smile in response to Eleanor's excitement.

"It's okay, really. I don't think they will mind meeting a fan."

Outside, they were greeted by an impatient Iris who wanted to share her experience with her sister, drowning everyone around them in short squeals as the recapped the game until they were interrupted by Harry.

"Girls, come with me if you want to meet the team."

"Eleanor, where the hell are you?" a familiar voice carried over, causing Hermione to stiffen momentarily.

"Go," Iris said to her sister with a nod towards the stairs. "I'll follow you in a moment."

"Eleanor!"

"Okay." Eleanor gave her sister a quick hug before following Harry down the stairs, disappearing from their sights just moments before Draco appeared.

"Iris, this isn't the right moment," Hermione whispered, her eyes fixed on her ex-husband as he came closer. She wanted to run after Harry and Eleanor, but she felt paralysed and glued to the spot instead.

With an appeasing smile, Iris took a step back and waved in her father's direction. "Dad, I'm here!"

"Thank Merlin!" He picked his daughter up for a quick hug in relief. "You know that I don't like it when you run off."

"Sorry, I just needed to use the toilet."

Frozen in her spot and hoping he would just overlook her, Hermione watched them interact, her heart melting at the sight of him holding _her_ girl in such a loving manner. She had to admit that he still looked good—he had a casual and shorter haircut than she remembered and his angular face had slightly softened, though he still kept himself fit.

Her heart raced, and she didn't know how to keep her hands from fidgeting. Seeing him now brought back the memories of their divorce and how she almost lost both her daughters to them. The old feelings of hurt and disappointment threatened to take over and Hermione tried to push them back down.

Draco finally put his daughter back down on her feet and reached for her hand when he noticed Hermione. He stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide for a second before he caught himself, the confused expression softening immediately. "I didn't... What are... I mean–"

"Nice to see you too," Hermione said, her voice cracking slightly, trying to smile as she waved at him. But then the situation and the simmering panic managed to overwhelm her. Her throat was choking even harder, and all the people and the noise around her threatened to drown her—it was too much. "Sorry, I can't... Need air."

Running down the stairs, she heard Draco calling after her in surprise, but she didn't turn around. All she wanted was to get out of the damn place and to catch her breath again. It was all she could think of as she hurried down.

She only allowed herself to stop once she found Harry and Eleanor outside the player's entrance. Eleanor was sitting on a low branch of the nearest tree, swaying her legs and talking to Harry.

"Mum!" Eleanor jumped down as soon as she saw her, a confused expression on her face.

"I... I couldn't..." Hermione finally breathed in deeply, shaking, but refused Harry's offer of a hug. "That wasn't a good idea–"

"Hermione!"

"Mum! Why did you run away?"

Hermione shook her head pleadingly at Harry as she heard Draco and Iris approach them, but he only shrugged his shoulders because it was too late to do anything about it—her ex had seen her. Apprehensive and with shaking hands, Hermione finally turned around to face him.

Gods, if only she had had more time to mentally prepare herself for their first meeting after all these years!

"Hermione..." Nodding briefly at Harry in the background, Draco stopped in front of her, keeping a safe distance; the two girls watching them quietly from the side. "I didn't mean to scare you. I was just... well... _shocked_ to see you."

She took a deep breath to steady herself and put on a friendly smile. "We've been tricked into this."

"What do you mean? Does Potter have anything to do with this?" Utterly perplexed, Draco followed her nod towards the girls to their side, who were by now grinning sheepishly.

"Dad, I-I can explain..." Iris made a reluctant step forward. "_We_ planned it. And Grandma helped–"

"Merlin's balls! It's both of them!" Draco let out in shock, gasping loudly. For several seconds, he just switched between Hermione and the girls and back, trying to comprehend the scene in front of him. "How...? What...?"

"They switched on us, Draco. They met at the Quidditch camp–"

"You mean...?" Running his hands through his hair, he took a deep breath before he shook his head at the girls, a smile slowly curling up his lips. "I... You had my Eleanor, and I had your...?"

"Iris. My name is Iris, Dad."

He nodded, and with open arms, he kneeled down. He almost fell backwards when the girls tackled him in a heartfelt embrace. "You two..."

"Why didn't you tell me about Mum?" Eleanor asked, interrupted by a small hiccup, but still holding tight to his frame. "Or that I had a _twin sister_?"

He loosened his hold on them, throwing a quick glance to Hermione who didn't know what to tell them either. "I wish I could tell you. It wasn't an easy time when your mum and I broke up..."

"But it wasn't fair, you know?"

"I know, my dear. Maybe one day we can tell you what happened, okay?"

Eleanor nodded in understanding, even smiling before she looked at Hermione. "Mum is so cool, Dad! She has a great house, with a swimming pool! And we've been to Muggle Paris so many times–"

"Paris?"

Now, Iris nodded, finally letting go of him and quickly rubbing her eyes. "Mum works a lot, but we still do a lot together."

After giving each girl a kiss on the cheek, Draco rose back on his feet to return his attention to his ex-wife. "I didn't know you live in Paris..."

Hermione nodded, biting her lip. "I was offered a job at the French Ministry, and after everything, I just wanted to _leave_, get away as far as I could."

"I... I get that." Draco ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "I guess we really need to talk then. It's just... I already have plans for tonight that I can't change."

"Dad, can I at least stay with Mum and Iris?"

"Please? We promise to behave!"

Faced with two begging daughters using the full force of their puppy eyes on him, Draco had no other choice but to agree to it, so he nodded with an embarrassed smile. "Alright. For tonight you can. And your mother and I can have a talk when I pick you up tomorrow."

"Fine with me. Harry?" Hermione turned around to check with her friend who had kept quiet in the back, and Harry smiled and nodded confirmation. "See you tomorrow then."

"Looking forward to it," Draco replied with a soft smile. He offered his hand and Hermione gladly accepted it as an offer of peace. Then he slowly turned around to leave, shaking his head in apparent disbelief.

"Now, still up to meet the team?"

The girls nodded excitedly while Hermione let out a tired sigh. "I think I'll pass on this one. I'll wait for you at home."

"We'll bring you an autograph!"


	2. Crush

Hermione wasn't the only one shaken by the trick the twins had played on them; Draco had still not entirely gotten over the shock of seeing his ex-wife at the Quidditch game, even more so, both his girls. He had problems concentrating during his business dinner, as his mind kept straying back to Hermione. Her sudden presence had brought everything back— things he thought he had pushed down deeply enough to never be reached again.

One unexpected meeting with her was enough to confirm what had been circling in his mind more often with each passing year: that he had a desire to watch his daughter grow up, that he had been a blind idiot for agreeing to their divorce and not standing up for her...

That he actually missed her.

Eleanor had spoken the truth— it had been the easy way out, but it hadn't been _fair_.

..

For once, he was glad to show up at his parents' traditional Saturday afternoon tea without his daughter, as the visit would be strained with tension and she didn't need to witness it.

"Draco, my dear," Narcissa greeted him as he joined his parents on the terrace overlooking the gardens, smiling as he gave her the customary kisses on the cheek and exchanging a quick hug. "You look like you had a long night..."

"Just work. You know how Talbot can't stop talking about his art collection... But he agreed to the deal I proposed."

"Well done." Lucius greeted him with a quick nod and the usually offered hand for a shake before he looked around, expecting someone else to jump onto the terrace any moment. "Where's my little girl?"

Draco shared a quick glance with his mother, who wisely hid her smile behind her cup. "She is with a friend today. You know how she can be when she wants something..."

"She shouldn't forget her grandparents, however."

Ignoring his father's jab, Draco helped himself to a delicious looking piece of cake— practically the last reason why he still came here every Saturday. Tibby still made the best cakes; no one could beat the house-elf at that.

"You know, you're free to visit us any day too. I'm sure she'd love to show you her latest flying tricks," Draco replied flatly as he sat down on the other side of his mother, a cup of fresh tea awaiting him.

"For a girl, she really is talented. But I think she might be a little too obsessed with Quidditch; it doesn't really become a girl of her social standing."

Draco grabbed his cake fork more tightly to keep himself from responding. His daughter was happy, and that was all that counted. At least, she was as happy as he could make her.

"You didn't mind Draco being obsessed with Quidditch when he was her age," Narcissa replied calmly before she took another sip of her tea. "And he was talented too."

Lucius sighed. "Cissa..."

"How was the game yesterday?" Narcissa asked as she put her cup down, ignoring her her husband's exasperated response with a soft smile on her lips. "I heard the Harpies won."

Draco chuckled. He was sure that she didn't mean the game itself. "They obliterated them. And she got to meet the team afterwards."

"They _both_ did?" Narcissa asked nonchalantly, her smile widening when she saw him nod with blushing cheeks. "I see..."

"Oh, you were involved in yesterday's events; that I already know, my dear mother," Draco replied, finishing his cake. "But it was still quite a surprise to see Hermione after the game. She looked good."

"_She _has returned?" Lucius perked up at the mention of her name, narrowing his eyes at Draco. "I do sincerely hope she keeps away from you and _your_ daughter–"

"Lucius! It's her full right to return to England whenever she wants to. And you wouldn't even be able to tell the girls apart anyway, regardless of how much you dote on Eleanor when she's around." Narcissa's voice took a sharper tone in response to her husband's spiteful remark.

His mother's strong response took Draco by surprise, but it was also a relief. "_Our _daughters are the reason why she is back here. They met at the Quidditch camp, and they switched places."

"Iris is such a lovely girl, isn't she?" Narcissa asked with a warm smile towards Draco. "I can't be mad at them for wanting to meet the other parent; they are _twin _sisters, after all, and we kept them apart for long enough."

"It was a good solution back then and it's a good solution now," Lucius replied with a sigh. "All you have to do is switch them back and send your ex-wife home to wherever she lives now."

"It wasn't a good solution, it was an easy one," Draco said with a hiss. After the events of the day before he found his father's words especially insulting. Failing to push the rising anger down, he rose to his feet. "Mother, please excuse me, but I would rather take my leave now—before I ruin the afternoon."

"Give the girls a hug from me when you see them again. Both of them," she replied, getting up to give him a quick kiss goodbye. "And don't listen to your father; men his age are often too stubborn in their ways."

"Thanks." Draco was indeed relieved to have his mother on his side, but now he needed to clear his head before he could even think of meeting Hermione later. It would be another rather awkward and likely painful experience—although he had an idea what might provide a fitting frame as well as ease the sting of the uncomfortable conversation he expected.

And a Malfoy usually got what he wanted...

* * *

..

Draco was a nervous wreck when he walked up to Potter's house that evening. He had sent a note earlier to inform Hermione that he would like to take her out to dinner, entirely his treat, but now he was simply anxious about seeing her again and questioning the plans he had made for the evening.

Their divorce had been painful, and he had made mistakes leading up to it, so seeing his ex-wife again, he had the sudden urge to make it up to her in any way she would let him. Since their daughters had met at the Quidditch camp and didn't want to be kept apart any longer, they had no other choice than to work out a new solution for everyone.

In his urge to make it up to her, he had spent the better part of that afternoon bribing the right people to get a table at the very exclusive new terrace restaurant in wizarding London, and ultimately had to agree to take over the bill for the couple who had to find a replacement date.

But Hermione was worth the trouble.

After a deep breath to calm his nerves, he knocked on the door, hoping he didn't embarrass himself the first moment he saw her again.

"Dad!"

To his momentary relief, his girls answered the door with broad grins. Seeing both of them next to each other was still something he had to get used to, and he was glad that they were wearing different clothes or he would have sworn he was seeing double. "Hello, you two!"

"Mum is completely nervous," Iris said, stepping aside to let him in. She had her hair bound in a ponytail and wore a simple shirt and Muggle jeans shorts. "Good thing that Ernestine came as well..."

"Looks like they could have both used our help," Eleanor added with an amused chuckle. "Dad always goes through his whole wardrobe for a date, you wouldn't believe it."

"And you usually help me choose an outfit... What do you think? Good enough for your mother?" Draco was glad for the distraction his daughters offered, so he eagerly entertained them until Hermione would be ready.

Harry finally joined them, coming out of his study, though remaining in the doorway. "You look about as nervous as Hermione does..."

"Not everyone is as friendly with their ex-wives as you are, Potter." Draco did one more turn for the girls as they inspected his outfit choice for the evening. He had indeed gone through his entire wardrobe, finally settling on a casual summer style: a classic navy linen suit with a white buttoned shirt.

"Not her fault."

"Dad!" both girls cried out before Draco could get a word out in response. "Not tonight."

"I'll go check on Hermione," Harry offered with a smirk, moving towards the stairs. "She should be ready any moment."

Both Eleanor and Iris waited until Harry was out of sight before returning their attention to their father and nodding simultaneously in approval of his outfit choice. "You look good..."

"Yes. And if you don't know what to talk about, Mum loves to discuss her work–"

"Just like you, really."

"Me?" Draco replied with a mocked huff to the girls' amusement. "And I think I still know how to hold a conversation–"

"Dad, this is Mum, not just some random date," Eleanor stopped him with a surprisingly stern look, as if she wanted to indicate that he better not fuck it up again. "Astoria was nice enough, but really... Mum _is_ cooler."

"Astoria?" Iris asked, confused.

"I'll tell you later," Eleanor replied just moments before they could hear steps coming down the stairs. They all turned around to see Hermione slowly descending, a shy smile on her face.

Draco's heart skipped a beat or two when he saw her, going completely speechless as he watched her come down. He couldn't tear his eyes off her or the black mini dress she wore or the hair that had been coaxed into the most gorgeous set of curls he had ever seen.

Damn.

"Dad, you're staring," Eleanor whispered, barely able to keep a giggle from escaping as she leaned into him when her mother reached the last step.

"Hi," Hermione said with blushing cheeks that matched his as he regained some of his composure. "I didn't quite know where you plan to take us."

"Don't worry, Mum. I'm pretty sure Dad thinks you look stunning, given that he hasn't said anything yet," Iris replied, yelping at a nudge from her sister, which caused both girls to dissolve in giggles.

"It's not too much?" Hermione asked, running her hands over the dress to make sure it didn't roll up. "I- I haven't worn this in–"

"It's perfect," Draco said, taking a deep breath to get his nervous excitement back under control. It was like all those years ago when he had first asked her out on a date in their last year at Hogwarts. She had changed from the fiery girl that had blown his mind then into a woman that still managed to take his bloody breath away.

This was either going to be an excruciatingly awkward evening or the best evening he had in years. He hoped for the latter.

"Ready?" he asked as she finally joined him on the floor. He offered his arm which she gladly accepted. "You're going to love the place, I promise."

"Don't tell me you bribed half the town for it," Hermione said with a laugh that sounded as if she was finally relaxing into the moment. Then she turned towards the twins who were still sharing funny stories. "Girls, you behave, as promised earlier."

"But we can stay up late, right?" Iris asked with her most innocent expression, mirrored on her sister's face. "Please?"

After a quick shared look, both Hermione and Draco nodded. The delighted squeals from the girls made them both laugh, and they only managed to calm down once they were outside.

..

Minutes later, it was Hermione's turn to be speechless as she entered the restaurant Draco had chosen, taking in the luxuriously decorated terrace. A waiter was waiting for them next to a single table, beautifully laid out.

"Draco, you... this... I heard about these places, but... but don't they have ridiculously long waiting lists?"

"Well, it's ours for the night. Let the rest be my worry." With a soft smile, he placed his hand on her shoulders to gently guide her to the table, where the waiter was already holding the chair for her.

"Madame."

"Merci." Ever so slightly blushing, she sat down, Draco taking the seat on the other side of the table. Hermione studied the menu card that was carefully placed in front of her.

After discussing the wine options with the waiter, Draco could finally focus on her again. "I hope you like tonight's menu."

"All I can say is that I'm hungry now," she replied with a warm smile and looked up. "But I would have been happy with takeaway and a walk through town, you know?"

He nodded, returning her smile, as he felt a small flutter in his stomach. "But we have to discuss a few things and this place is perfect for it. Nobody can interrupt us. Plus you have no idea what the press is like once they know I'm out _on a date_ with you. They dubbed me the _most eligible bachelor_."

She chuckled at his slightly exasperated tone. "This is a date then?"

He leaned back with a small sigh, covering it with a smile just as the waiter came back with the wine. Without even checking the label, he nodded for the wine to be served, his focus still on her. "It's whatever you want it to be. But we do need to discuss the situation with our daughters... And I do owe you an apology."

"Draco, please. It happened, and we both mov–"

"No, just hear me out, please," he stopped her with a pleadingly raised hand. "Remember what Eleanor said in front of the stadium? _It wasn't fair._ Back then it had been the easiest way out of a situation that left us all hurt. But it wasn't fair. Not to you, not to our daughters... I'm sorry for not supporting you when you needed it, and I'm sorry that I didn't have the courage to take a stand against my father. I'm really sorry. And I'm an utter idiot to let a woman like you go..."

"A woman like me?" she asked with a small teasing smile, lifting her glass to sniff the wine.

Gods, for a moment, he was lost in her dark amber eyes and how the warm candlelight reflected in them. "You saw me gape at you earlier, right? You are breathtaking, strong, independent, and honestly, Iris is a charmer."

Her chuckle turned into a giggle as she nodded and placed her hand on her mouth. "Sorry."

"So," Draco continued, lifting his wine glass with a smile, "I sincerely hope you accept my apology, as badly worded as it was, and we can make a new start this evening?"

She raised her glass for the toast. "Your apology is a first step. I'm not letting you off the hook just yet, because what your family did was–"

"Horrible, I know. I wish I could undo it. Honestly."

"It's okay now," Hermione replied before she lifted her glass to her lips for a first sip, just as the waiter brought the first course. "At least the girls aren't mad at us."

"Yes!" he exclaimed in a bout of embarrassment. "What do you think we should do now? I mean, we can't really separate them any longer..."

"I thought about sending Iris to Hogwarts."

"You did?"

She nodded, putting a bite of her entrée in her mouth and letting out a low moan at the taste. "It has a better Quidditch program than Beauxbatons. And maybe I hoped a bit that they might meet there."

He smiled at her admission, adoring the faint blush on her cheeks. "So, Hogwarts it is for the girls–"

"Until then, they could stay at my or your place in turns. I have more than enough space, but I wouldn't be opposed to them staying with you for a while." Hermione closed her eyes as she took one more bite, as if she was trying to memorize it.

Draco noticed her hand, outstretched on the table; to his relief, her whole body language had been inviting so far. He might even call it interested. He had expected much worse, given the circumstances of their divorce and the fact that she left the country in its aftermath.

As she looked out over the city below them, he brought his own hand next to hers, waiting a heartbeat before he covered it. He held his breath when she didn't pull her hand away but instead twined their fingers.

..

Dinner was spent discussing their respective jobs and things their daughters had been up to; eating was almost forgotten over the stories and all the repeated touches, each one adding to Draco's general excitement.

For him, it had indeed turned into a date. He was spending a great evening with the only woman he had ever really loved. He couldn't get enough of her, and he was encouraged by her responses so far.

After the waiter collected their empty dishes, Hermione rose to her feet to walk up to the railing, wine glass still in hand. She sighed contently when he joined her, covering her back, and she leaned back against his chest. "It's been a wonderful evening. Thank you."

Tentatively, he wrapped his arms around her, barely resisting the urge to place a kiss on her cheek. "You expected worse? Because, honestly, I was scared you wouldn't want anything to do with me, except for whatever we could work out for the girls."

She nodded, still gazing out over the city in the last throes of twilight, already illuminated by thousands of streetlights. After a few more silent seconds, she lifted her glass for a sip as she reached for his arms around her waist with her other hand. "I missed what we had. A lot."

The melancholic tone of her words stung his heart. They had become close friends their final year at Hogwarts before he had finally mustered the courage to ask her out on a proper date, against all expectations from his family. He had never felt closer to anyone else in his life—they had been a team; where one was, you could always find the other.

And then she had become pregnant.

A short marriage and a painful divorce, mostly pushed through by his father, forced them to grow apart and spend a decade in miserable loneliness.

"Let me make it up to you," he whispered; he pulled her closer into his embrace, relishing the feel of her body pressed against his. It felt like home. "I missed it too— missed you."

Holding on to his arms around her, Hermione silently finished her wine. When she finally turned around, her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "I don't want to get hurt again. Not like this."

He let go of her to wipe away the single tear that threatened to run down her cheek, smiling softly when she leaned into his touch. "I understand I'm not in the position to make promises, but I'll do anything to keep you and our girls safe."

"What...?" Swallowing hard, she placed the empty wine glass on the narrow railing. "What about your father?"

He placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "I'm yours. If anyone gets a say in my life, I want it to be you, not–"

However, he didn't get any further, as she silenced him with a heartfelt kiss. Gods, he was stunned for a moment by the touch of her soft lips against his, surprised by her move, but then he responded in kind, letting his heart take over. He matched her fervour, let his tongue swirl around hers, moaning when her hands found their way into his hair, leaving an electrifying trail on his scalp.

Encouraged, he grew more demanding, wanting to discover every corner of her mouth once more. He pinned her harder against the railing. No one kissed him like she did; no one had made him feel as elevated and addicted as Hermione. Her lips— no, her whole_ presence_ was simply intoxicating, and he couldn't get enough of her.

A polite cough from the terrace entrance finally stopped them, and they pulled away with embarrassed smiles when they saw the waiter standing there, small plates in his hands.

"The dessert is waiting, Madame et Monsieur," the waiter said, bringing the plates to the table; the amused spark in his eyes was the only reaction to what he had seen. "Of course, we also occasionally offer the service of packing it up for you to take home..."

Hermione chuckled as she took her seat once more, her lips still red, her eyes glowing; Draco couldn't help but fall for her all over again.

..

"Shh... They are going to hear us," Hermione said in amusement as she reached the door to Potter's house. Draco was right behind her and kept holding her back to pull her in for yet another kiss.

"You think I care?" he replied in a teasing whisper just before kissing her passionately, pressing her against the frame because— damn, he was entirely addicted to her now. He was eager to reacquaint himself with more than just her lips.

He relished in the soft moans that escaped her as he trailed kisses and nibbles down her jaw and neck, before focusing on her earlobe. His hand had found the seam of her dress, pulling it up an inch to gain access to more of her skin. It felt like silk— skin that needed to be worshipped once more.

"Draco..."

The combination of her husky whisper and her hips grinding against his was almost too good and he struggled to keep his control. "Either we sneak up to your room, or you let me take you to my place... Because Seven Hells, I need you now!"

That made Hermione snap out of her momentary trance. Panting heavily, she shook her head and gently pushed him away. "No. I— I don't think this is a good idea."

"Hermione, please."

She shook her head again, smiling softly in response to his sigh. "Not tonight, okay? Merlin knows, I missed doing _that_ with you, but we haven't seen each other for a decade, and practically the first thing we do is make out... I feel like a horny teenager on a date with her crush."

"I'm your _crush_?" he asked with a teasing eyebrow, taking a deep breath to calm down. Of course he was disappointed that she had put a stop to it, and he was still eager to get her out of her dress— but then, the evening went better than he could have ever hoped for.

"Idiot..." She chuckled as she rearranged her dress to look presentable enough to anyone still awake inside, although she still looked ravished. "Look, all I mean is we should take it slower. Spend some time together as a family, just you and me and the girls, and maybe Ernestine— just in case there's another moment of wandering hands."

"Whatever you want." Draco kept his hands in his pockets to keep himself from fidgeting and with a big, happy smile, he took a step towards the street. "I'll call you tomorrow and we can discuss the plans for the day then."

"Sweet dreams." With that, Hermione carefully opened the door to slip inside, waving at him one more time and gracing him with a big smile before disappearing behind the door.

Draco couldn't wait to get home and out of his restraining clothes. Before he could even think about any sweet dreams, he had to relieve himself to the image of her without that goddamn black mini dress.

_Horny teenager_ had been a blatant understatement.


	3. White Peacocks

Sunday afternoon, after a lazy morning sleeping in and with her head still full of images from the previous night, Hermione found herself walking down the gardens of Malfoy Manor. It was a place she never thought she would ever visit again, yet here she was, after accepting the cordial invitation from Narcissa to join her for tea.

Iris and Eleanor were springing ahead on the gravel part, inspecting every new corner and every exotic flower currently in bloom. Hermione was glad that Ernestine had agreed to come along for support as well.

Hearing Ernestine repeatedly exclaim in surprise at the grandeur of the Manor proved to be a good distraction for Hermione. She had spent the entire morning feeling surprisingly embarrassed about the previous night, especially when her daughters kept asking for details during breakfast.

"Ernestine!" Iris called from one of the corners, pointing at one of the white peacocks strutting across the grass. "Have you ever seen one of those?"

"Ils ont des paons blancs?" Ernestine uttered in astonishment, completely unaware that she had switched to her native French.

"Other people keep cats or dogs— they have peacocks," Hermione replied in amusement as Ernestine left to have a closer look at the animal. They were beautiful creatures, but they also reminded her of her former father's-in-law self-importance and arrogance.

She took a deep breath to keep the urge to run back home at bay. Despite reconnecting with Draco the night before, she still hadn't gotten over the fact that his father had done everything he could to drive them apart— including threatening her with his social and political connections should she refuse to agree to his terms.

Just because he didn't consider her good enough for his son.

"Hey, there you are..."

Draco came down the gravel path to pick them up and pulled Hermione from the hold of her memories. She shook her head to clear her mind and greeted him with a soft smile. "Hello."

Seeing the girls and Ernestine adoring one of the white peacocks a few feet away, he reached for her hand to twine their fingers. "Don't worry, okay? Mother promised he's out until late. We have a whole afternoon to enjoy..."

She nodded, taking a deep breath to loosen the small knot in her chest; the touch of his hand also helped to calm her nerves. "It's just weird to be back here."

"I'm sure Mother would understand if you don't feel comfortable enough here... But she would still love to meet with you." With an encouraging smile and a brief squeeze of her hand, he started down the path. His smile widened when she nodded and let him guide her to the spot they had chosen for the tea. "You look beautiful in that summer dress... Cream suits you."

"I bought it for the annual summer fest the French Minister hosted in June," she replied, trying to ignore her blushing cheeks. A lot of people had complimented her on the dress at the summer fest, but hearing compliments from Draco? It made her feel cherished to the point that she felt giddy.

"I'm still impressed that you work for the French Ministry," he said with an appreciative whistle. "Doing all the good things you always wanted to do..."

She nodded, looking around to avoid his gaze and hide her still blushing cheeks. "Yes, I'm glad they are considering me for the position of Head of the Department for International Cooperation. It all just depends on when LaCroix finally retires."

"Really, I'm impressed." He stopped when the top part of a tent came into view. "Before we go inside... Are you really okay with it? I don't want you to sit through something that might upset you just for me, or–"

"I'm fine, Draco," she replied softly, touched by his concern. "Your mother was the one who sent me the letter about Iris and Eleanor switching, after all... And it would be rude to leave now."

He placed a kiss on her forehead. "I meant what I said yesterday–"

In a bold move, Hermione pulled him down with her free hand for an ardent kiss. She needed a reminder of the sweet feel of his lips against hers, a reminder of why she actually agreed to come today: the opportunity to see him again, and the opportunity to do exactly this.

The night before hadn't been enough, in the end...

Her heart skipped a beat when Draco responded in kind, letting go of her hand to instead frame her head, his fingers digging into her hair while he roamed her mouth; his tongue dancing with hers to both their delights.

"Damn," he said with a pant as he finally pulled away, a smitten look in his eyes as he let them wander over her face, lingering on her lips. "We better join my mother now, or I'll just give in to the temptation to whisk you away to another hidden corner of the gardens..."

"Maybe we should, yes." With a teasing smirk, she reached for his hand once more before turning towards the tent. Her heart was jumping in joy and he gazed at her in adoration as they reached the tent.

..

Narcissa immediately rose to her feet when she noticed them, a welcoming smile on her lips. "My dear! I'm so glad you agreed to come today... After everything that happened, I wouldn't have blamed you for declining the invitation."

"Well, the girls wanted to come, and I couldn't really say no." For a moment Hermione felt completely underdressed next to Narcissa, looking utterly graceful in a black linen jumpsuit, but then she shoved the feeling to the side and put on her friendliest smile.

"Where are they?" Narcissa asked, beckoning Hermione and Draco to take a seat on the lounge furniture, brought here just for the tea. "Adorable girls, both of them..."

"They are showing Ernestine around, I think," Hermione replied, eyeing the lovingly draped finger food on the table. "She is my maid."

"Good." Narcissa nodded before she levitated the teapot with a discreet swish of her wand to fill the cups in front of them. "I heard Paris has a great wizarding community..."

Unsure, Hermione shared a quick glance with Draco before she nodded reluctantly. "It's a great community, yes. Iris is friends with a lot of the other children in our neighbourhood... Though I don't know how many of them figured out the switch."

"They look identical," Draco said, leaning forward to add sugar to his tea. "I thought I saw double for a second yesterday when they opened the door."

"I caught them when Iris was using one of those instant message parchments to communicate with her sister," Narcissa said, reaching for the small milk jug. "She wasn't fast enough to hide it, and I was able to read a few sentences. She was scared I'd be mad at her, but how could I be mad at such a clever and charming girl?"

"I was just shocked," Hermione with a smile, nodding when Draco held up a sugar cube over her cup. "I mean, I thought I'd never see her again, and then she just sits there in my kitchen eating ice cream, joking around with Ernestine— and in perfect French!"

"And I thought I saw a ghost at the Quidditch game..." He leaned towards Hermione with a small smirk. "And my dear mother here helped the girls orchestrate our meeting there, would you believe that?"

"You just needed a little push." Narcissa hid her smile behind her cup, sipping her tea. "And it worked..."

Pushing a strand of hair out of her eyes, Hermione shared another look with Draco, breaking out in a small giggle when she remembered the end of the previous night and their kiss just moments before.

"So, have you found a solution for the girls yet?" Narcissa then asked, her widening smile the only indication that she had noticed Hermione's giggle. She put her cup back on the table, reaching for a finger sandwich. "And what about you two?"

Hermione almost let her cup slip from her grasp and only barely avoided a burn on her fingers as she steadied it to put it back down. A sigh escaped her as she leaned back for additional support. "I... Honestly, I don't know. I do hope you don't take this the wrong way, and I brought it up with Draco yesterday as well, but your family treated me quite terribly. I moved on, but it's not something I can just forget either."

Narcissa's expression wavered for the briefest of moments, a flicker of shame running over her face before she collected herself. "I know. Back then, I simply didn't know how to stop my husband, and I'm sorry for that. That's why I tried to teach Eleanor what I thought you'd teach her if you had the chance. And she always had questions about you— why you left or where you were now... Things I couldn't answer."

Still leaning back, Hermione saw Draco lowering his head, his lips pressed into a faint, pained smile. With a small pang in her heart, she reached for his forearm in a comforting gesture. "Thank you for not making me the bad person."

"You never were," he whispered as he covered her hand on his forearm, his fingers leaving soothing patterns on her skin.

"Thanks." Hermione leaned forward, resting her chin on his shoulder. "But let's talk about something else now..."

"I'd love to hear more about Paris," Narcissa offered. "Their fashion is far superior to anything England has to offer."

..

A couple of hours and many finger sandwiches later, Iris and Eleanor entertained the adults with their flying talents and tricks they had learned at Quidditch camp. All three women on the ground gasped in shock more than once at their sheer audacity.

Despite the outrageously daring behaviour of her daughters, for Hermione, this was a precious moment; for the first time in years— since she had left with baby Iris— it felt like they were a family, spending a wonderful Sunday afternoon together.

"I think, given the circumstances, we both did a good job raising them," Draco whispered into her ear in a moment when everyone else was distracted, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "And I'm honestly glad they switched on us."

She smiled at the touch of his lips, leaning into him when he put his arm around her waist. "Me too, given how everything has turned out so far."

His next kiss moved closer to her jaw but was still as tentative as the first one. "Would you say _yes_ to a dinner at my place?"

"I'd have to bring Iris and Eleanor because I promised Ernestine she'd get the evening off." She couldn't help but chuckle at his barely veiled disappointment. "Not what you had in mind, hm?"

"You got me..." He leaned his forehead against her temple and let out a deep breath. "I'm glad to have you back, but then I remember that you will go back to Paris soon and I just want to spend as much time as I can with you while you're here."

"There's no hurry yet," she replied, patting his cheek gently. "I'm here for more than a few days. And Paris isn't so far away either, you know?"

"Still too far..." He finally sat up again, although he left his arm wrapped around her waist.

Hermione managed to sneak her arm around his back, as she watched Narcissa and Ernestine discuss whatever the girls were showing now. "I'm sure they would love to spend some time with their father as well..."

"The village on the other side of the hills has a beautiful Summer Fair—I could take them there... Just give me a day to organise a few days off at work."

"Sounds like a plan." Hermione leaned her chin on his shoulder, smiling happily, only to be interrupted by another gasp as Iris showed another flying trick. She was glad that the brooms couldn't yet get as high as adult brooms, but she couldn't quite shake the anxious feeling whenever the girls flew any higher than a few feet above the ground.

"You really haven't changed," Draco whispered, nudging her gently. "Remember? You berated me often enough for my risky flying during the Quidditch games at Hogwarts."

"You were a show-off–"

"Hey, I tried to impress the girl I liked with my talents."

"I was," Hermione said with a quick smirk, "but I was scared too. You could have broken your neck at least a dozen times."

"I didn't..." He pulled her closer and placed a kiss on her temple. "And the girls won't either."

Hermione's attention was drawn away from Draco when a house-elf showed up, as discreetly as it could. "Draco? What's going on?"

"Hm?" He followed her gaze, as he had been distracted momentarily by one of the peacocks strutting past their tent. "Just Tibby. She probably wants to know whether we all plan to stay for dinner or something..."

However, Narcissa reacted with a shocked gasp to whatever Tibby was telling her. Seconds later, she rose to her feet with a determined expression on her face. "Draco? Could you please come with me?"

Within a single heartbeat, the relaxed atmosphere of the afternoon had vanished, and Hermione could only watch from a distance as Draco and his mother animatedly discussed some serious matter.

"Maman?"

"Mum? What's going on? Why is Dad arguing with Grandma?" Eleanor asked as she came back to the tent, the broom on her shoulder and her sister close behind.

"I don't know, sweetheart. But it's probably nothing to worry about..." Trying to cover her own doubts with a smile, she motioned for the girls to sit down next to her. "It's been a great afternoon, hasn't it?"

"Ils retournent," Ernestine said, getting up with pressed lips.

"Draco? What's going on? Has something happened?" Hermione was now completely nervous, standing up as Draco approached. The girls were still sitting on the sofa, watching her with worried expressions.

However, he only shook his head and turned to Ernestine. "Could you please get the girls back home? I don't want them to see this..."

"Dad!"

He sighed. "I'll explain later, okay? Just go with Ernestine for now."

"Cissa! I'm allowed to see my granddaughter!"

Hermione froze when she heard _that_ voice, her mind flooding with all the bad memories connected to it. "You promised _he_ wouldn't come back until late..."

"I know," Draco responded and reached for her hand, but she pulled it away. "He really wasn't supposed to be ba–"

"Iris! NO!"Hermione cried out when her daughter ran off towards the loudly arguing voices of her grandparents, only to have Eleanor follow her. "What the hell are you doing?"

She ran after them, intent to catch them before they would reach Lucius; she barely noticed that Draco and Ernestine were straight behind her. "Your father told you to go with Ernestine!"

It only took them seconds to reach Narcissa, shaking her head in shock at her granddaughters, not wanting to leave her husband out of sight for a single moment.

"Cissa! What is going on here?"

"Grandfather, why are you fighting with Grandma?" Eleanor asked, rather out of breath, when she and Iris reached their grandparents. "We were just visiting..."

Before anyone else could say anything, Hermione reached the group, immediately putting herself in front of her daughters in a protective move. "Hello. I was told you'd have the decency to be out of the house until late."

"This is still my house. My_ Manor_. And I demand that you take _your_ daughter immediately and leave the grounds."

"They are both my daughters. I gave birth to both of them, and you can no longer take this away from me–"

"You have no place in this family!"

Before Hermione could respond, Draco stepped in, grabbing her wand hand in a bold move and motioning the girls to go over to Ernestine; he glared at them when they shook their heads, adamant about staying where they were. "I'm here now."

Hermione took a deep breath, momentarily relieved about the hold of his hand and finding strength in it. "I'm their goddamn mother. I have every right to be in their lives and in this family!"

"She is right, Lucius," Narcissa added with a dangerous glare before she made a step towards Hermione's side. "It wasn't fair."

"You tore us apart, just because..." Hermione swallowed as her throat choked up. "Just because you think I'm not good enough."

"Dad, why is Mum shouting now?"

"And why did Grandpa say that she should leave?"

"Doesn't he love us both?"

Wiping stubborn tears off her cheeks, Hermione shook her head. She didn't dare to turn around or she would lose it completely; it was bad enough that they had to witness it.

"You want to leave?" Draco whispered, squeezing her hand in an attempt to comfort her; he smiled faintly when she shook her head again.

"_Mes filles_," Ernestine said behind Hermione, addressing the girls in the softest voice possible. "I think we should leave them alone for a moment. They have a lot to discuss..."

"Non!" Iris protested firmly, stepping forward. "I want to know why he doesn't like both of us, or why he hates Maman... _Ma mère_ is a good person! She is always there when I need help, she listens, she never shouts at people—or at least not at me, and she lets me play Quidditch because I'm good at it, even though the mamans of my friends say that a girl shouldn't play such a game."

"Yes, Mum is cool!" Eleanor added, joining her sister to stand in front of their parents. "She told me that she never stopped thinking about me. That she missed _me..._"

"Iris, Eleanor, it's okay," Hermione said in a whisper because her voice didn't allow for anything more. She brushed her hand over the heads of her daughters.

"You heard them!" Draco's words came out in a growl of barely suppressed anger. "Don't think I won't fight back this time. I'm not letting you drive her away again. If you can love my daughters, then you can at least be decent enough to accept that their mother belongs in their lives. And mine."

Lucius sighed, his cold stare still fixed on Hermione, who met it with her chin held up, bolstered by the support around her.

"Draco, please. Don't be a fool. Someone of her... _background_ will never fully fit in."

"Just say the word," Draco retorted. "Tell Eleanor and Iris what you really think of their mother, and what you hence think about them as well."

"It's okay." Hermione tried to pull him back.

"No, it's not." He shook his head.

"She doesn't fit into _our_ family, for heaven's sake, Draco! She's not–"

"She fits into _mine_!"

"She is _beneath you_. She was back then when you managed to impregnate her, and she still is _now_. A Muggleborn can never be part of this family, not as long as I live. We don't mingle with them, and we don't marry them. We have a reputation to uphold–"

"LUCIUS! Stop it! I've heard enough..." Furious, Narcissa interrupted her husband; Hermione had never seen the elder witch glare at someone with such anger as she did now. "Times have changed, and you know that."

But Hermione had heard enough to know that nothing had changed at all, even after a decade out of the country. Trembling with anger, she let go of Draco's hand. He tried to catch it again in a futile attempt. "Let me go. It was a mistake to come here."

"I'm really sorry, okay?" Draco replied in a desperate whisper, his lips turning into a faint, sad smile as she nodded. Hermione still refused to let him take her hand for comfort, while his parents kept arguing harshly.

"Girls, we're leaving!" Finally giving in to the urge to flee the situation, Hermione grabbed the hands of her daughters and turned around, ignoring their protests, starting towards the warded ground borders to Apparate out.

"Dad!" Eleanor cried out, trying to wiggle out of Hermione's tight grip.

"Go with your mother," Draco replied, staying behind and not attempting to stop them. "This is between your grandpa and me."


	4. At The Summer Fair

"Draco? What is that supposed to mean? _Indefinite leave_?"

Ignoring the confusion in Astoria's voice as she came storming into his office on late Monday morning, his official note in her hands, he continued packing the items on his office desk into the box with quick swishes of his wand. Hearing them crash on top of the rest of his personal effects in the box was a surprisingly satisfying sound.

"Draco, please. What's going on?" Astoria now stood in front of his desk, leaning forward to gain his attention. "You know I'm going to need an explanation for your father–"

"He is the reason." He chuckled bitterly but didn't stop collecting his things, now summoning things from the shelves around them. "I need to take care of my own family right now."

"You're not making any sense. Is your daughter okay?"

With a sigh, Draco let the last items fall into the box before he placed the lid on it. Only now did he look up to face Astoria with a grim smile. "My _daughters_ are okay..."

"_Daughters_? Honestly, what's going on?"

He sent her another glare because he really wasn't in the mood to explain the situation to her, even though she was the head of the Human Resources Department of his family business. "Yes, daughters. Hermione and I have twin daughters, and they didn't know about the other until recently."

"Fine," she replied dismissively and straightened again. "I'll sign it, even though I'm not at all satisfied with your answer. Just keep me updated about everything, and take your time to sort out whatever problems you have right now."

"Thanks."

"I figure dinner tomorrow with Blaise and Daphne is cancelled then?"

He took the box under his arm before he nodded, relieved to be able to leave this place for the foreseeable future. The fight with his father made it clear that he needed to sort his priorities, and right now, his own small family was more important than his position in his father's business. "Yes, sorry."

She followed him as he walked around his desk towards the office door. "We'll survive for once without you, although Blaise might be a tad disappointed. He hates having to listen to any discussion about wedding preparations."

"He's the groom..." Draco smiled briefly as he stepped out of his office to walk up to the official office Floo exit.

"Right?" Astoria closed the door behind them. "Or you could bring Hermione along if she is up for it–"

"I don't think it's a good idea right now, but thanks for the offer."

"Alright," Astoria said with another smile, placing her hands on her waist, still holding his note. "Let me know when the situation changes."

"I will." He nodded, hoisting the box into a more comfortable position before turning around to walk off.

* * *

..

Except for a quick Floo call to the Potter house in the evening, Draco decided to give Hermione some space to calm down, though he did want to keep his promise to take their daughters to the Summer Fair.

He was surprised to see Hermione at the door the next day when he arrived at the Potter house to pick up the girls. His surprised expression immediately softened into a smile. "Hi... I didn't expect–"

"Me?" She looked tired, but she couldn't hide the smirk that curled up her lips as she stepped aside to let him in. "You didn't mention anything yesterday during your call, but how did it go with your father?"

"Honestly? It was terrible. But it has been brewing for a long time..." He sighed, rubbing his neck. "I'm really sorry for everything–"

"It's okay. I'm not mad at you." Beckoning him to follow her, Hermione guided him to the living room, where he could the see the glass doors opened wide onto the terrace; children's laughter was coming through, adding to the summer feeling of the day.

"You know, my mother moved out of their bedroom that evening. I've never seen my father plead so desperately with her."

In the middle of the living room, Hermione turned to him with eyes wide in surprise; her lips started to curl up in a grin until she couldn't hold back her laughter any longer. "My... My mum used to do that too with my father when he pissed her off."

He found her laughter a relief, momentarily easing his doubts. Chuckling, he opened his arms to offer a hug. "So, we're okay?"

Still grinning, she wrapped her arms around his neck and nodded. "I was just shocked that day, that's all."

"Thanks." He couldn't resist her being so close, so he pressed his lips to hers for a short and heartfelt kiss. He missed her the day before. His heart skipped a beat when she responded by slowly parting her lips. It was enticing, but after a few seconds he pulled away again, once more completely smitten.

"Dad!" Iris was at the door, a huge grin splayed on her face. "There you are..."

As Hermione let go of him, Draco turned around to greet their daughter with a quick hug. "Are you ready for the Fair? And where's your sister?"

"Harry was telling us a story about when you went to school together," Iris replied. "Mum kicked his arse quite a bit, right?"

After an amused nod, Hermione stepped outside. "I'll tell them to finish..."

"Harry and I used to play Quidditch too when we were at Hogwarts–"

"You did? I want to be a Chaser when I grow up, just like Ginny!"

"Ginny is great!" Eleanor finally joined them, waving at him with an excited grin. "But nobody can beat us..."

Draco chuckled lightly at the bold statement before nodding towards the door. "Ready to have some fun and spend some money? Give your mother a break?"

"YES!"

..

"Now, ladies," Draco said with an amused smirk when they arrived at the fair a short while later. "Let's have some fun, but don't embarrass me too much, okay?"

"Dad..." Eleanor rolled her eyes briefly and mocked him with a sigh, to the amusement of her sister. "We know how to behave around Muggles, honestly!"

"And we know how to count their money," Iris added, grinning. She looked as ready to enter the fair as her sister, with the same mischievous intent on her face. They planned to try out everything they came across and to get on every ride.

Hermione had once taught him the delights of the Muggle world, inadvertently broadening his horizons in the process. Raising Eleanor, he had tried his best to instill the same interest in and respect for her mother's heritage as Hermione would have; given how much she loved the Summer Fair and going into Muggle London, he seemed to have succeeded.

"Dad, can we go to Old Louise first?" Eleanor asked as they entered the area of the fair, looking around at the stands and the people walking between them. "She didn't have any chocolate ice cream left last year and I don't want to miss it again!"

"Yes, _please_!"

Draco didn't mind being essentially dragged to the ice cream stand by his daughters, as Old Louise's homemade ice cream was some of the best he had ever tried. And given his own sweet tooth, he had eaten his fair share of ice cream on holidays, yet no one had ever beaten the old lady.

"Mr Malfoy!" Louise greeted them with a smile and a wave from behind her stand as she finished serving a customer. "And... I think I need new glasses, or else I'm seeing double–"

"Do you have chocolate today?" Eleanor asked, excited as she checked out the offered tastes and pointing out a few she knew already to Iris. The girls completely ignored what Louise must be thinking seeing them together; she had only ever known there to be one Malfoy daughter.

"Neither, Ms Louise." Draco couldn't help but chuckle at the confusion in the old lady's expression as she looked at the girls and then at him. "It's a bit of a long story, but Eleanor has a twin sister who lived in Paris with their mother until now..."

"They look so alike–"

"Yay! You have chocolate!" Eleanor jumped up and down, pointing at her choice. "Two big scoops, please, Ms Louise!"

Iris had another good look at the different tastes on offer before she joined her sister in her excitement. "Yes, for me too, please."

"Make it three, Ms Louise, but a cup for me, please," Draco added, already searching for the wallet with the Muggle money he had brought along, smiling when his daughters received their respective waffle cones loaded with chocolate ice cream.

"Thank you, Ms Louise!" Iris and Eleanor replied in unison before finally having their first eagerly awaited lick, which was closely followed by delighted moans.

"You so have to try Ernestine's ice cream too," Iris said before she continued, "she makes the best red currant ice cream in the whole of Paris!"

"I know!" Eleanor replied with a grin. "I had some the day that Mum found out we switched."

"There you are, Mr Malfoy," Louise said as she handed him his cup with two scoops of chocolate ice cream. He handed her the money owed in return. "Lovely girls you have..."

..

An hour later, Draco was tempted to cast a small Cooling Charm on himself as drops of sweat ran down his neck and back. Iris and Eleanor hadn't slowed down as they explored every single stand.

Right now, he would have preferred to spend the day at the pool—either his own or the one at Potter's house— watching his girls swim as Hermione lounged on a pool chair next to him. He couldn't help but smile broadly as the image of her in her bathing suit flashed through his mind.

Never a bikini, but, damn, she had always looked good in those high-cut black suits, showing off her legs.

"Looks like Dad needs a break," Iris said with an amused giggle as she and her sister returned from a stand that had a collection of gems and other handmade jewellery on display.

"He's probably thinking about Mum," Eleanor replied as they arrived in front of him. "Same stupid grin as Mum had on Sunday morning, remember?"

"Hey!" Draco replied with mocked insult to their amusement. "But yes, a break would be nice. Did you find something nice at the stand?"

Eleanor shook her head. "The lady told us to go away when Iris started to tell her that she has the uses for those quartzes wrong–"

"Heavens..." Now Draco let out an earnest sigh and briefly brushed his hair back. "Let's sit down and have a drink. I definitely need one now."

"Did you really think about Mum when we came back?" Eleanor asked as they walked over to the closest stand that served drinks. "I mean you never told me anything about her before–"

"Maman never said anything either; but she has a crumpled half of a picture in her nightstand."

"Just like Dad." Eleanor claimed the first unoccupied shaded table that they passed, clapping her hands when she saw that it was next to another of her favourite stands. "George has some great lemonade! You have to try it!"

Moments later, they all had a glass of lemonade in front of them, decorated with a straw and a slice of lemon. Though he found it a bit too sweet, Draco still enjoyed the refreshing hint of sour taste on his tongue, while the girls made the funniest faces as they slurped their drinks down.

"Dad? Can we ask you something?" Eleanor said, sounding surprisingly apprehensive as she shared a look with her sister. "We thought about asking Mum, but then we didn't want to upset her again..."

"What do you want to know?" Putting his drink back on the table, he straightened up in his seat, trying to put on what he hoped was an inviting smile.

"Why does Grandpa hate her?"

"Yes! Why did he say that Maman is _beneath you_?"

Draco took a deep breath to ease the sting in his heart, faced with their questions. "It's not easy to explain–"

"Dad, please!" Iris begged, leaning closer with her big brown eyes.

"Alright," Draco conceded, leaning back. "You know how proud your grandfather is about coming from a pureblood wizarding line. Every man in the Malfoy family before us has married a girl from one of the other pureblood families, like the Parkinsons, or the Greengrasses..."

"And Mum is not a pureblood," Iris mentioned with a faint smile before taking another drink.

"No, your mother is not a pureblood. Her parents were Muggles–"

"Yes, we visited them once in Australia! They have a house at the beach— that was fun!"

Draco smiled, reaching for his drink. "So, your mother and I dated for a few years after we graduated from Hogwarts; we even lived together."

"Did you love her?"

He nodded, pulling the straw into his mouth for a long, slow sip to gain a few seconds. "Very much. But then Grandpa didn't like that I asked her to marry me when she got pregnant with you. We tried to ignore him and married in Scotland, with just our closest friends and her parents. You should have seen her in her dress... She looked beautiful, glowing, and she couldn't stop smiling through the ceremony. We were both happy that day."

"What happened then? Did you hurt Maman?"

"In a way, yes." He had another sip from his drink, hoping to ease the knot in his throat. All the questions were bringing back the memories of the fights he had with Hermione when everything started to go downhill in their short-lived marriage. "Grandpa treated her badly, because for him she wasn't refined enough. She didn't have the right upbringing or the right manners. After you were born it became even worse, and I wasn't there to protect her. And one day, she had enough. So she left."

"Why... Why didn't you help Maman?" Iris asked quietly after a few seconds of silence between them. "She never talked about it, but I'm sure she missed you."

A bitter chuckle escaped Draco, and he put his empty drink back on the table. "Maybe I wasn't brave enough back then to tell Grandpa to back off."

"And..." Eleanor sighed, leaning on her hand. "And why didn't she take both of us? Why did she leave me behind?"

"She loved you both to pieces, but..."

"I hate Grandpa!" Eleanor let out in an angry growl.

"Eleanor, don't say that!"

"Dad, please! He made Mum and Iris leave! And I know you missed her too, or you wouldn't keep that crumpled picture on your nightstand..."

"I know, I know." With a resigned sigh, Draco rubbed his face before brushing through his hair. "Look, Grandpa's ideas are outdated and he hurt a lot of people, but he only wanted the best for his family."

"Mum is family too–"

"I know, Eleanor," he interrupted her, now rather exasperated. She was a lot like her mother in that she was quick to anger with perceived injustices, but there was nothing he could do about it right now. "But I won't let her go again this time. Not like this."

With tears in her eyes, Iris got up from her seat to hug him, her arms tightly around his neck.

"Hey, everything okay?" Surprised, Draco pulled her into his lap, holding her tight as she let out a sob that was muffled by the shirt on his shoulder. "You're my daughter too, my dear. No one can take that away from us..."

Turning her head to the side, Iris nodded, opening her embrace when Eleanor joined them.

At that moment, holding both his beloved daughters tight in his arms, Draco felt grateful for their plan of switching places at the camp; they had brought the family back together. For the first time in a decade, his life felt complete.

"Do you..." Iris sighed, trying to cover a small hiccup. "Do you think Grandpa will ever change his opinion?"

Trying to find the right words, he placed a comforting kiss on Iris' head. "Don't worry about him, okay? We'll find a way. And knowing who your mother is friends with, you'll soon have more grandparents than you ever wished for..."

To Draco's relief, she smiled and sat up. "Harry's parents came over for dinner yesterday, they are cool."

"Yes! They teased him a lot about not having grandchildren yet, and then Mum allowed us to show James a few tricks on the brooms! Did you know that he was a Chaser too at Hogwarts?"

"I've seen the trophy in the cabinet, yes." After one last squeeze, he let his daughters climb off. "I'm sure you two will get your own trophies, although your mother might prefer you'd get them for good grades."

"Is it true that Mum was the best in your year?"

"She was, yes." With an amused smile, Draco nodded. "An annoying little know-it-all who beat me in every single test. Sometimes it was just a single point. But she was always better than me."

"But how did you become friends then if you didn't like her?" Iris asked, looking at him with great curiosity as she took her own seat again.

"When we were partnered in Potions we discovered that we were quite similar, so we started studying together— Harry never wanted to sit down with her." After straightening his shirt, he rose to his feet. "Now, how about we find a present for your mother, and then have dinner at my place? You could help me with the cooking..."

That brought the smile back on his daughters' faces, and they both nodded, joining him as he continued their stroll through the market.

"She likes jewellery, so we could find her a necklace," Iris mentioned as they passed the next stand, displaying food.

"Then let's find her a necklace..."

* * *

..

"So, you three had a nice afternoon at the Fair?" Hermione asked later that evening, leaning comfortably into Draco's side as they sat on his terrace after dinner. She was absent-mindedly playing with the necklace the girls had brought her back from the Fair.

Enjoying the quiet moment, he wrapped his arm around her, glad that their daughters had decided to go play in Eleanor's room. "They are a handful, but yes, it was a great afternoon... Did you relax a bit?"

"Nah, strolled through Diagon Alley and then through the rest of London, like a proper tourist." Her arm found its way around his back. "It was really nice not having to think about anything— just enjoying the moment and doing some shopping."

He kissed her temple, then let his lips wander down as far as he could reach, smiling when she purred lowly in response. "Would you like to stay over tonight? I do have a guest room that could be made ready–"

"I'd love to stay," she whispered with a content smile as she leaned her head back, reaching for his neck with her free hand to pull him down. "With you, in the same room."

"That sounds like a promise." A teasing smirk playing on his lips, he kissed her tentatively— an invitation— and she responded. He couldn't get enough of the feel of her soft lips or the way she let her tongue swirl around his; there was still a faint taste of the red wine they had for dinner, as rich and smooth as she was tonight.

The kiss slowly grew more intense, and Hermione shifted her position for better access, her hands on his upper body. She let out an approving moan when he finally pulled her on his lap.

He found the fervour with which she kissed him utterly enticing, and tonight, he was willing to give her everything she wanted and everything she needed. His hands on her bottom pulled her even closer as he kissed her just as fervently, playing with her tongue and sucking on her lip.

"No holding back tonight." Her words were only whispered against the skin on his jaw, as she started trailing his neck with hot kisses, yet they made Draco moan in anticipation.

"You-You're sure?"

She looked up, her eyes darkened but showing a teasing spark; she briefly licked her reddened lips as she nodded. "I'm sure you remember how to use those Silencing Charms."

He chuckled and let his hands run up her back to play with the ends of her hair. "Of course I do. Just... let's wait until the girls are officially in bed. You deserve my full attention."

"Hmm..." She nodded, grinning broadly as she leaned forward again for another round of kissing. "I remember what _that_ means, my dear. And yes, I deserve it."

He laughed, swatting her back gently in response. "Gods, I missed you..."

"Missed you too." With that, she claimed his lips once more, as no more words were needed to express their feelings. Their presence right now was enough.


	5. Garden Parties And Disappearances

For the rest of the week, Hermione enjoyed every single moment she could spend together with Draco and their daughters. They strolled through both wizarding and Muggle London, made a day trip to the coast in the South, and spent several days at the pool, entertaining friends.

Just like a family.

The weight on Hermione's heart was lifted more and more each day that she spent with them, slowly mending from the pain of their divorce all those years ago. A divorce that had left them all hurt and lonely for too long.

Those days were over.

She had to return to Paris when her vacation was over, although it was a thought that Hermione preferred to push to the back of her mind. She didn't want the bubble of their happy little family to burst just yet, even though there were still many questions that she and Draco needed to discuss— including where the girls would live now until they started at Hogwarts, and how to define their rekindled relationship.

Were they back together? Or was it just a temporary thing until she had to return to Paris?

And if they were back together, how would they make it work?

And what about his father?

..

On Saturday, the Potters invited their friends and everyone they knew to a garden grill party. Hermione and her little family were amongst the last to arrive; she had noted down the wrong time, so she was understandably flustered when they finally entered the garden and everyone else was already enjoying a relaxed conversation over a drink.

"Wow," Draco said, looking around with his eyebrows raised in astonishment as he and Hermione stepped outside; Iris and Eleanor were behind them, chatting animatedly about the foods they wanted to try. "It's like half the Ministry is here..."

"The Potters are quite well connected and they run a few charities." With a warm smile, she beckoned him to follow her. "Come on, let's say hello to everyone."

They took a few steps outside as all the other guests turned to see who had arrived; moments later, they were practically swarmed by old friends with big smiles and waves to greet them.

"Hermione! It's been such a long time," Neville said as he offered his hand for a shake in a slightly awkward move that looked a lot like he originally wanted to hug her. "Last I heard was that you're climbing the ladder in the French Ministry..."

Hermione didn't care about Draco's sceptical look when she pulled her former office partner into a brief, cordial hug. "Still working at the Ministry? Or did you finally apply for the position of Herbology professor at Hogwarts?"

"He's the favourite with the students," Pansy added with a teasing smile as she joined Neville, taking a hold of his arm, only to let go again when she discovered her old housemate. "Draco, my dear! I didn't expect you to come..."

"And you still bring them to tears in Potions?" Draco replied dryly.

"Oh no, my fiancé here makes sure to keep me satisfied." With a now smug smile, Pansy lifted her left hand to display her engagement ring; Hermione had a closer look at the green stone, letting out a small squeal.

"Congratulations!" Hermione couldn't resist hugging Neville again in shared happiness before shrugging at Draco, who was still inspecting the stone in appreciation.

"Maman, who's that?" Iris asked, as she and her sister finally finished their little twin chat. She giggled when she saw the confusion on everyone's faces upon seeing Eleanor step next to her father, waving at them all.

"Twins!" Neville let out in surprise, but then he chuckled, brushing through his short hair to cover his embarrassment. "I vaguely remember now..."

"And you get to teach them starting next term, _Professor_ Longbottom."

Eleanor made a step forward with a polite smile. "I can't wait to learn everything about plants, Professor."

"No, Potions is going to be much more interesting!" Iris protested to everyone's amusement.

..

Greeting and exchanging pleasantries with everyone, Hermione and Draco slowly made their way through the people and towards the small outdoor bar for drinks. Hermione kept Draco's hand in hers, mostly to keep people from pulling him away out of curiosity, and partly because his presence had a relaxing effect on her.

"Harry!" the girls shouted excitedly when they saw their favourite adoptive uncle standing close by, almost throwing him off balance as they tackled him in a greeting hug.

"A-As I was saying, Sirius, it's going to be a hard fight for the Harpies to reach the qualifications this year." Harry tried to keep his drink from spilling on the girls. "Well, hello ladies!"

"And who are these charming young girls?" Sirius asked, barely keeping his laugh in as he offered to hold Harry's drink.

"May I introduce?" Draco said as he and Hermione finally reached the group. "Our daughters, Iris and Eleanor."

While James and Lily already knew the girls, their closest friends Sirius, Remus, and Peter all took a second or two to look at the girls in confusion.

Eventually, James leaned in to nudge Sirius. "You have to see them fly, Padfoot... They are fantastic."

"You mean to say that my little cousin here managed to produce such charmers, and we are still waiting for our own grandchildren?" Sirius said, mocking his indignation as he threw a glare at Harry.

"Hermione, help!" Harry exclaimed, taking a step back.

"Padfoot's right, you know?" Lily added, joining Sirius in his mocked indignation, although she could barely keep her smile in check. "When are we going to get our own grandchildren?"

In his exasperation, Harry turned to Remus, who had watched the scene from the bar, albeit looking rather amused about it all. "Uncle Moony? Please? They can't be...?"

"I'm afraid, they are." Shaking his head, Remus hid his grin behind his glass as he had some of his drink.

Hermione could no longer hold back and laughed out loud, leaning into Draco who was already chuckling as well. "I-I'm sorry, Harry."

"No, no. That's all Malfoy's fault," Harry replied, joining her laughter as he pointed at the blond. "He loves bragging."

"Well, it's not my problem if you can't shoot properly, Potter–"

"Boys, behave!" Hermione swatted them both on the arm, nodding towards the girls who were chatting with Lily a few steps away.

"But I'd let you borrow them from time to time, maybe a day or two, so that Hermione and I have some time to ourselves—"

"Not going to play your babysitter, Malfoy."

"Never said that."

"Drinks anyone?" Remus offered, stepping behind the bar. He held up a bottle of Firewhisky as a distraction and Draco agreed with a nod, joining in conversation with the men.

Hermione joined him at the bar; she was watching Remus pour her a glass of beautifully dark burgundy wine when Lily came up to her, the girls in tow. "I'm really glad you could make it."

"No, I have to thank you for the invitation— and for including Draco as well." Hermione climbed on the bar stool, quickly checking on her daughters behind Lily before returning her attention to the elder witch with a smile. "It looks like it's going to be a great evening."

Lily nodded and sat down opposite her, so that she had an eye on the men who were already discussing the next round in the Quidditch League and the chances of the Harpies or the Wasps winning the title this year.

"Mum, Auntie Lily said that we can run around as we want–"

"And that Tilly will take care of us! Maman, please!"

"Yes. I thought you'd be glad not to have to keep an eye on your girls all evening. Tilly helped us raise Harry, so she knows all the tricks to keep them safe..."

"Mum, please. You've seen that Dad has a house-elf too to help him with the cleaning!"

Tasting her wine, Hermione nodded. She remembered the long and deep discussions with Draco about his family's house-elves when they decided to move in together. Times had changed and Hermione was glad to have seen much needed law reforms pass, giving elves more rights. The house-elf that Draco still employed was treated with respect; she especially seemed to dote on Eleanor, and now Iris too.

Hermione trusted the Potters and she was very much into the idea of simply enjoying the evening, knowing that her daughters were being taken care of. Oh, the opportunities this offered...

"I know that smile," Remus said with a wink as he put the wine bottle back into the cooling rack to keep it away from the summer temperatures, just as Lily called for her house-elf to instruct her before the girls were allowed to have fun around the house. "If you do want to sneak off for a moment, guest rooms are on the first floor..."

"Bye, Mum!" And the girls ran off with the elf, towards the food table; Hermione didn't even have a chance to respond, only to wave as they were leaving.

"Great girls," Lily said, nodding towards Hermione's wine glass as an indication for Remus to pour her another one. "But now I'm curious... Tell us a bit about Paris, and your job."

"Aren't the French currently discussing amends to their lycanthropy laws?"

Eager to discuss her job, Hermione nodded. "Yes, indeed. There are quite a few charities to help people with the condition, and it has changed the general view of them in society. You should visit us one day..."

"Sirius hates Paris, sadly enough," Remus replied, refilling his own Firewhisky before leaning down again. "But we'll see."

* * *

..

"And you are really okay with my mother entertaining the girls this afternoon?" Draco asked the next day, as he slowly climbed into the pool where Hermione was already half floating, her eyes closed and soaking up the sun with a content smile. "Eleanor does love helping her in the greenhouse..."

Hermione nodded. She had debated with herself after Narcissa had sent the invitation for Iris and Eleanor to spend the afternoon with her, not wanting her daughters to have contact with _him. _It had taken Draco a Floo call to his mother's wing at the Manor to calm her doubts, but it was Eleanor's enthusiastic description of the greenhouse and what she usually helped her grandmother with that made her agree in the end.

"How's your head doing?" His voice was now much closer, and there were fingers tracing the skin on her back.

"Much better," she whispered, her eyes still closed, about to purr from the soft, expert touch of his fingers. "I've never had so much fun at a party, though."

"It was a great evening, yes," he replied as he peppered her face with kisses, leaving a slightly wet trail before he reached her lips. "Now, we have a whole afternoon to ourselves..."

"I find your implied thought intriguing." Her eyes now open, she shifted back into a standing position, pulling him in for another ardent kiss and delighting in the way he pressed her against the pool wall.

It was great not having to be careful for once in fear of their daughters discovering them in an inappropriate position. The girls could never resist to squeal in glee and do a short song and dance whenever they discovered their parents kissing, even when it was just a short peck.

However, even today Hermione and Draco were interrupted— this time by a modest, embarrassed cough coming from the roofed terrace. "Madame?"

Panicking at the surprise, Hermione pulled away and turned around; to her relief, it was Ernestine, unable to stop a smile at what she had seen. "Y-Yes?"

"How come we forgot about her?" Draco whispered, still holding Hermione in his arms. "She would have loved the greenhouse too–"

"Madame, it seems that I'm no longer needed here. I came with you for support, but now that everything 'as been solved and _les filles_ are entertained regularly by other people..."

Hermione shared a quick look with Draco and then nodded slowly. "You want to return to Paris..."

"Oui, Madame. And maybe visit my sister for a day or two. But the 'ouse will be ready for your return, I promise."

Hermione pushed Draco away an inch, as he was starting to pepper her with kisses again. "Of course. Thank you for coming along in the first place. I'll let you know about the details when we plan to come back, but don't worry too much about it. Enjoy your stay with your sister, Ernestine."

"Merci!" Unlike her usually rather composed demeanour, Ernestine did a little happy jump before she threw Hermione a small kiss. She was gone a moment later, hurrying upstairs to pack her things.

"She is a pearl, honestly. I'd employ her on the spot, but it would insult Tibby," Draco said with an amused smirk when Hermione finally turned back to him, her arms once more around his neck.

"Yeah, no chance, my dear. She is _my _pearl..." Before he could reply, she claimed his lips in another kiss; she wanted to savour every feeling and every little thing right now—from the smallest touch of his hands wandering over her sides to his slow, utterly addictive way of kissing.

..

An hour later, Hermione and Draco had made it to their bedroom, their bathing clothes littering the corridor and several pictures hanging crookedly due to their intense kissing and fumbling against the walls on their way.

This time, she ended up on top, riding him with slow, deliberate moves of her hips. The angle was perfect. Gods, she loved how she could feel him deep inside her, sending waves of pleasure through her body with every single move. And his hands were everywhere on her body—massaging and caressing her breasts until whimpered at the slightest touch, then running his thumb over her clit, making her moan in needy delight.

"You're beautiful," he husked, putting more pressure on her clit. "So beautiful..."

Unable to hold herself up any longer with her orgasm fast approaching, Hermione leaned down to catch his lips in another kiss. Then it overtook her, sending her over the edge.

"Oh my God, Oh my God, oh my God," she murmured into his neck as her orgasm rolled through her in an intensity she hadn't expected. In her momentary blissful high, she barely noticed Draco following her, finding his own release.

She sighed contently as she came back down, turning her head to the side; she could hear his still racing heartbeat. It was a beautiful sound.

"Better than I remember," Draco finally said, still out of breath, but sounding as content as she was. His fingers were drawing patterns on her back, lulling her mind further. "No one does it like you."

She chuckled, poking him gently in his side. "Idiot."

"_Your_ idiot right now." He placed a soft kiss on her head, pushing some of her hair out of her face. "You know, I'm glad you gave me another chance–"

"I couldn't risk missing this," she replied with a teasing smirk, moving her hips briefly; she earned herself the lowest of moans from Draco. With another sigh, she propped herself up on her elbows to look at him, her smile broadening when she saw his tousled mess of hair and that utterly relaxed look in his grey eyes. "But I think we need to figure out what happens next... I'm going back home on Thursday with Iris _and_ Eleanor, and what then? Is this going to be a temporary thing between us–?"

"Shh... We'll find a way, even if I have to bribe some people at the Ministry to establish a Floo connection between our places." He placed his hands on the side of her head, his fingers digging into the hair. "I don't want this to be temporary, and I'll do anything to make it happen. Maybe I'll even follow you to Paris."

"You would?" She couldn't help but grin happily, though she still sat up, letting out a surprised moan at the sensation of him still being inside her.

Smirking at her moan, he nodded. "It's time I change a few things–"

"But what about your life here? Your job, your friends, your family?"

"_You _and the girls are my family... And you've been my best friend ever since Hogwarts, remember? Everyone else just moves in the same circles, to be honest..." His hands were now on her thighs, gently moving up and down in caressing strokes. "All I want to say is that I lost you once, and I don't want to let that hap–"

Right at that moment, they heard the Floo go on in the living room, announcing an unexpected visitor.

"Draco? Hermione?"

"Oh my God!" Shocked and now alarmed, Hermione climbed off Draco to hurriedly find something to cover herself, as it was Narcissa who had just arrived. "Pants, pants! Damn, where are my pants?!"

Even Draco was hurrying to make himself presentable, grabbing a shirt and a pair of dark linen trousers from his wardrobe. He was about to leave the room to meet his mother when he turned around again. "Hermione?"

She was still frantically going through the clothes she had brought along, on the brink of panic because all she fished out were tops and shirts. She yelped when she felt the tickling sensation of a Cleaning Spell hitting her, slowly wandering up her thighs before it reached her intimate parts. "What?!"

"Just making sure..." With a smile and shrug in response to her questioning stare, he left the room to intercept his mother, who had begun searching for them throughout his place and had been making her way towards Draco's bedroom.

Finally, Hermione found a pair of briefs and after hastily putting on the top and the shorts from the day before, she followed Draco out of the room. Her heart was racing nervously now, so she took the stairs at a run where she found Draco and Narcissa talking animatedly. Narcissa seemed upset and unusually frantic while he tried to calm her.

"Oh God, Hermione! I'm-I'm sorry! I promised to take care of the girls–"

Never since she had become a mother had Hermione expected to hear those words, and the shock of them hit her with full force. "No... no! NO! You promised me they'd be safe in the greenhouse! I trusted you–!"

"Hermione!" Draco intervened, looking just as shocked as he grabbed her by the shoulders to gain her attention. "Right now, it's more important to find them again, okay?"

Glaring at Narcissa, who was trying and failing to keep her elegant posture, Hermione took several deep breaths. Her hands were trembling now, and her head raced with thoughts and questions that she wanted to hurl at the other woman, but Draco's hold on her shoulders kept her from venting her panic.

She needed to keep calm if she wanted to find her girls. She could have a breakdown later.

"What happened?" she asked quietly after one more deep breath, her voice cold and sharp.

"We..." Narcissa sighed in defeat. "Look, we took a break and had something small to eat on the balcony overlooking the greenhouse and gardens. It was getting too hot and I didn't want to risk them overheating... But then my husband came home—I thought he'd be gone for the day, like he usually does when one of his contacts has something new for a collection. I'm really sorry, Hermione. He saw us, and-and we started a fight. One moment they were there, and the next they were gone. I don't know whether they are still on the grounds of the Manor or whether they have gone somewhere else. I was really hoping they had come back here..."

For a moment, Hermione was tempted to follow her urge to go over to the Manor and bloody hex her former father-in-law into the next dimension for being such a bigoted and self-centred old man, who would do anything to make her life hard. Instead, she just concentrated on her wand, summoning it wordlessly, as she had no time to search for it.

"You and your mother search the Manor grounds; I'll go check with Harry." Throwing the two Malfoys a stern warning glare, Hermione stepped towards the fireplace. It was the fastest way to reach Harry's place.

Before she threw the Floo powder, she turned once more to Narcissa, who seemed to have found her posture once more. "We'll talk later."


	6. Four People

"Harry!"

Hermione didn't wait for a response; upon stepping out of Harry's fireplace, she immediately set out to find her friend. She found him moments later in the kitchen, preparing a late afternoon snack.

"Hermione! What... What are you doing here?"

"Have you seen Iris and Eleanor? Are they here maybe?"

He put everything down on the counter and turned around to face her, his expression somewhere between concerned and confused. "Why?"

"Dammit!" She let out a frustrated growl, gripping her wand tightly. "I'm going to kill Lucius..."

"Hermione! What happened?" With a single step, he was in front of her. "What's going on?"

"They were supposed to help Narcissa in her greenhouse, and now they disappeared. And it's _his_ fault!"

"Alright." With a small sigh, he placed a Stasis Charm on his snack before he ushered her back into the living room where the fireplace was. "Maybe they just called out the wrong Potter house..."

"You mean, they might be with your parents?" Trying to keep the panic under control, Hermione took a deep breath and rubbed her face. "I really want to hex him for scaring them into running away. They could be anywhere–"

"Hermione, we will find them, okay? They are smart, and I'm sure they are somewhere safe," Harry said firmly, offering a calm counterbalance to her brewing storm. "But now, let's go over to my parents. If they aren't there, we'll widen the search."

She clung to the hope that her daughters had simply called out the wrong Potter house because she didn't know what she would do otherwise. Slightly trembling, she watched Harry step into the fireplace first and call out his parents' house. As soon as he had disappeared into the green flames, she reached for the pot with the Floo powder and followed him over.

When she stepped out on the other side, Harry was already talking with James, who was growing pale as Harry explained. To Hermione's dismay, James shook his head.

They weren't here.

Lucius was going to pay this time! Her knuckles were white from gripping her wand so tightly, she immediately turned back towards the fireplace, intent on giving that old git of a man a taste of her anger.

"Hermione, wait!" Just as Hermione was about to step into the fireplace once more, Lily caught her arm and pulled her away. "I know what you want to do. That's not a solution, believe me... Come with me."

Hermione protested, albeit rather weakly, when Lily pulled her towards the men, not letting go of her arm.

"Okay," James said, taking off his glasses to clean them to gain a few seconds, just like Harry always did. "You inform your colleagues at the Auror Department that we are searching for two missing twin girls, and I call everyone else." Only now did James turn his attention to Hermione who was still struggling against Lily's hold on her arm. "I know you're angry right now, and feeling desperate. Believe me when I say that we know what you are going through... My dearest wife here was about to raise hell when we thought Harry had run away one day. We will find them, okay?"

"Dad, let me know if you find them in the meantime," Harry said from the fireplace, about to travel to the Auror Department to rally everyone into the search for Hermione's daughters.

"Same." James nodded and stepped aside to pick up a device that looked like an oversized coin with enough space to send a few words in.

Hermione didn't have the chance to even ask about it before the other Marauders appeared in the living room, stern looks upon their faces.

"What's the emergency, Prongs?" Sirius asked, stepping up to them and looking rather dishevelled in a wrinkled and torn shirt; behind him, Remus looked more put together, though he was trying to hide what looked like disappointment about being interrupted. Peter still held his drink in his hand as he walked up to James.

"Oh good, you're dressed this time," James let out with a relieved grin.

"Hi, guys," Hermione greeted them with a small wave before Sirius could continue the banter; they smiled as they recognised her. "I-I need your help. My dau–"

"Malfoy senior is still the same old git," James said with a tired sigh, interrupting her. He let the coin roll between his fingers. "He scared Hermione's daughters into running away. We need to find them–"

"They could be anywhere, and I just want them back." Hermione hadn't intended for her words to come out like a desperate plea, but she was at a point where she would be grateful for any kind of help. "They are all I have."

"Contact everyone, let them know we need to know where the girls are," James said, his eyes suddenly narrowing at Sirius who was starting to smirk with angry mischief. "Find out where the girls are, Padfoot! I'll deal with Malfoy senior–"

"I'll deal with my family myself," Sirius retorted, adding a small growl for emphasis.

"No. You're the one with good contacts in the underground. Let them know we are looking for the Malfoy girls! Use the fucking name if you have to, but stay away from the Malfoys. Is that understood?"

Before Sirius could disappear to follow his own plans, Remus grabbed his arm, immediately gaining his attention. "No. Go now or you can sleep elsewhere for the next few weeks. And you can definitely forget about..."

Hermione didn't hear the rest as Remus whispered into Sirius' ear, but he certainly didn't like it. In the background, she saw Peter mouthing what looked like names of people he could contact; he was the quietest one in the group, but it seemed that he had an idea about where to go first.

"At least let me go back to the Manor," Hermione said, leaning towards Lily who wisely kept out of the dispute between the men. "I could help Draco search the ground; maybe they are just hiding in the garden somewhere."

"Boys!" Lily finally intervened after a nod towards Hermione. "It's not about Malfoy, it's about the girls. Just let everyone know we need to find them, okay? Petty arguments won't help!"

"Fine," they all said, shrugging or throwing their hands in the air in defeat.

"I'm still going to let Malfoy know what I think of him," Sirius added as he grabbed Remus' hand, apparating them both out seconds later.

"I'll check up on Harry..." With a thin-lipped smile, James stepped into the fireplace, calling out the Auror Department and disappearing into the green flames.

"And we'll go help Draco," Lily said with a reaffirming smile. "They are probably still on the grounds, and hearing _you _calling them might help..."

..

Searching the grounds of Malfoy Manor took them hours, yet Iris and Eleanor were nowhere to be found. With every passing hour, Hermione grew more frantic, clinging to the faint hope that they might still turn up somewhere.

She just wanted them back in her arms, safe and unharmed.

Unable to sit still for more than a couple of seconds, she walked up and down the huge main terrace, not caring one bit about the gorgeous view of the gardens. As she turned around to walk the same steps back, she saw Narcissa order the house-elves to intensify the search inside the Manor.

"Leave me alone," Hermione let out in frustration as she dismissed Draco's attempt to comfort her as she walked past him, brooding in the corner. "Just bring me back my daughters!"

"Fine!" he retorted in a brief moment of uncontrolled frustration that matched hers. "But don't forget, they are _my_ daughters too, and we are all doing the best we can to find them, so don't take it out on me, okay?"

Swallowing her retort, Hermione threw her head back and sent a quick prayer to the skies, silently asking for the safe return of her daughters. "I'm sorry. I just wish we knew more. What about your friends? Haven't they said anything yet?"

He shook his head, sighing as he reached once more for her hand and smiling as she finally let him comfort her. "No. But they all know how important Eleanor is to me, and Iris—I mean, how important they both are to me..."

Suddenly feeling tired, Hermione let herself be pulled into an embrace, burying her face in his chest. She smiled as she recognised the faintly lingering scent of the sex they had had earlier; it was oddly comforting. "I just want them back... What if something happened to them?"

"They will be fine."

Sighing, she turned her head to the side and watched Narcissa fidget around with the plants on the terrace, seemingly not happy about their arrangement. "You think?"

"Sure. Half the wizarding world is looking for them..."

She desperately wanted to believe his words, but she couldn't shake the thought that her daughters were lying in a ditch somewhere, unable to contact anyone. Or maybe they were stuck in a tree somewhere with their brooms out of reach because they were foolish enough to fly away without an adult.

The sound of steps announced someone entering the balcony, and Hermione immediately lifted her head to see who it was: Harry.

"Did you find them?" She let go of Draco to run over to him, eager to know more. With the Auror Department under him he should at least know _something_.

"No, but I managed to have them Traced. We'll know soon where they are." Harry let out a surprised yelp as she hugged him. "Sorry for taking so long, but Tracing minors isn't exactly easy..."

"It's good enough."

Draco joined them just as Hermione let go of Harry, immediately reaching for her hand. "And?"

Hermione nodded, unable to say anything as a wave of relief rushed through her. Traced people were usually found in no time, and that they could be Traced meant that they were still alive.

More steps were heard in the main hall, announcing the arrival of more guests. This time it was Astoria who stepped on the balcony, an empathetic smile on her lips. "I'm sorry; I came as soon as I heard–"

"Do you know anything?" Draco asked impatiently, stepped towards her without letting go of Hermione; his tight hold on her almost crushed her hand. "Anything at all?"

After seconds that felt like an eternity, Astoria nodded and reached for his shoulders before her smile turned into a broad grin. "Even better... Girls!"

As Astoria stepped aside, two blonde heads appeared in the door, smiling sheepishly. With reluctant steps, the two girls came outside. "We're sorry, Mum!"

"Oh my God!" Hermione exclaimed, opening her arms to take them into a much-needed hug. "Where have you been? Your dad and I were scared, you know?"

"We know," Iris whispered into her neck, trying to swallow a small sob.

"We're just glad you're back now," Draco said as he joined their group hug, his voice a whisper.

"Sorry, Dad," Eleanor replied, kissing his cheek. "But Grandpa scared us. He was mean to Grandma..."

"They came to my place," Astoria explained calmly, but with a happy smile, "looking upset and confused. I did offer to let you know, but they said you wanted the afternoon to yourself–"

Eleanor nodded with blushing cheeks. "It's true."

"And you know how difficult it is to tell your house-elves to deliver a message," Astoria added with a mocked sigh.

Narcissa came up to her, just as the small family finally let go of each other, tears in their eyes. "Thank you for taking care of them. I think one of my elves did try to tell me something, but— well, in all the commotion I didn't realise it."

"I'll inform the others." With a quick nod, Harry disappeared inside after watching the happy reunion silently from the back. He was just as relieved that everything had worked out, given the big smile on his face as he left the balcony.

"Yes, thank you." Iris to her side, Hermione half-hugged Astoria. "I'm glad to know that they were safe the whole time."

"It was no problem, honestly. I watched Eleanor a few times before–"

Astoria was interrupted by more people arriving on the balcony; James and the rest of his friends had just arrived. They all hugged the girls in utter relief; Sirius briefly swirling Eleanor in the air.

"I think I'll go back now," Astoria said with a happy smile, carefully wiping her eyes. "I can't leave Blaise alone for too long with all the wedding invitations."

"Your mother finally happy with the dress?" Draco asked, running his fingers through his hair before pushing his hands in his pockets; Hermione hooked her arm with his, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Yes, _finally_!" After an exasperated chuckle, Astoria started to turn towards the door. "Please bring her to the wedding, okay? And don't fuck it up again..."

"You better watch your step, Ms Greengrass."

Barely avoiding a run-in with the person in the door, Astoria made a step back in surprise, although she immediately regained her posture as she saw who it was. Her smile lost its warmth. "I'm sorry, Mr Malfoy. I was about to leave anyway. Although I better let you know now— my parents would prefer you didn't attend my mother's charity event next weekend. They find your recent behaviour towards family members... _intolerable_."

Hermione felt her previous anger welling up again now that her former father-in-law had the guts to join them on the terrace, though she couldn't help but smirk at his irritated look in response to Astoria's words.

"I heard celebrations going on; I presume my granddaughters have been found?"

"Yes." Draco's answer was short and cold.

The whole terrace fell silent in response and everyone turned towards Lucius. A commotion went through the crowd as Sirius stormed to the front, an exasperated Remus following him.

"You are a disgrace, Malfoy. You have some very twisted ideas about what family is supposed to be–"

"At least I wasn't burned off the family tapestry, Black."

Sirius' strong reaction had taken Hermione by surprise; he had said the exact words that had been on her mind. Draco's clenched jaws and tense muscles showed that he felt the same. "I have to agree with Sirius–"

"And I told you to stay away from my son, yet he takes an _indefinite leave _from his job just so he can play family with you!"

"Lucius, shut up!" Narcissa shouted angrily as she she came to the front as well. "This is exactly what we argued about before. I cannot believe it!"

This time, surrounded by supportive family and friends, Hermione wasn't the least bit intimidated by Lucius. But before she could say anything, Draco stepped forward, forcing her to let go of his arm as he lifted it to point at his father.

"You will leave us alone." Draco's words came out harsh and angry. "I'm not going to let you destroy my life again–"

"Or mine." Hermione joined him, her arms crossed. "You have done enough damage already, just because your ideals were more important than your son's happiness. Even Mr Greengrass seems to have more common sense than you."

"Pf, he wouldn't risk losing the Malfoy donation to his wife's charity."

"I'm still invited, Lucius," Narcissa retorted icily. "It's going to be an extremely generous donation this year."

Widening his eyes in disbelief, Lucius stared at his wife. "You wouldn't–"

"What I want to say is," Hermione interjected impatiently to regain their attention, "until you finally accept that I'm part of this family and part of your son's life, you won't be allowed anywhere near my—_our _daughters. They do not need to be exposed to such backward views as yours."

Lucius tried to say something in response, clearly insulted by her words, but Hermione stopped him with another glare and pointed finger. "Don't you dare threaten me this time. I'm their mother. And you seriously don't want to mess with the people behind me if you care in any way about your own reputation."

"I wouldn't mind a duel," Sirius threw in, completely earnest about it as he twirled his wand in his fingers.

Hermione chuckled; she did fancy the idea of watching Lucius having his arse served by Sirius, but then she took a deep breath and recovered her posture. "You're not the only one with friends here."

"Let's go," Draco whispered, turning around to motion for the girls to join them. "We're done here."

"We'll have another talk about this, my son–"

"I don't think so." Draco's firm stance only softened when Eleanor arrived at his side, and he hoisted her up. "God, you're growing too fast!"

Now on the same level, Eleanor studied her grandfather with a blank expression until she narrowed her eyes at him and leaned forward. "You should grow up, Grandpa. You're not a nice man."

Those honest words shocked Lucius, and he momentarily gaped at Eleanor before he finally made a step to the side to let Draco and Hermione pass. Only when they were inside did he regain his composure to shake his head at her. "As a Malfoy, I don't have to be nice."

"People would like you better," Eleanor replied over Draco's shoulder as they walked further inside towards the fireplace, Iris on his other side.

Only Hermione remained at the door, wilfully ignoring Lucius now; she preferred to focus on the safe return of her daughters. With a smile, she waved at everyone else present on the terrace. "Thank you all for the help today. I'm really, really grateful for everything you've done."

"No problem!" was the response from everyone, amidst smiles and waves.

"And you're always welcome to visit us in Paris–"

"Paris of all places!"

"Oh, come on, Sirius! It _is_ a great place to live. Okay... Thank you all again, and goodbye everyone!"

As Hermione walked away from the terrace door to join her family in front of the fireplace in the main hall, she heard another argument erupt; Sirius' and Lucius' voices were prominent amongst the angry chatter.

It was indeed a great feeling to know that, this time, she wasn't alone— that people supported her. And most importantly, Draco had made a stand against his father.

* * *

..

"You're up early," Draco mumbled as he entered the kitchen the following morning, more asleep than awake and heading straight for the pot of coffee on the stove.

Hermione looked up from the newspaper, a slice of toast in her hand. With a smile, she watched him inhale the scent of the coffee with a low content sigh. She had the urge to run her fingers through his hair and carefully bring some order to the tousled mess.

"I'm sorry... I couldn't sleep any longer," she finally said before she took another bite of her toast. "And... And I contacted the Ministry to request a Portkey back home for this afternoon."

Draco coughed loudly and choked on his coffee, spilling the rest on the floor before he managed to put the cup back on the counter. "P-Portkey? Afternoon?"

Hermione nodded and swallowed the bite, trying to push the sudden rush of guilt back down. It hadn't been her intention to shock him like that. She had thought long about her plans the night before, lying in bed with Draco comfortably pressed against her back.

Still coughing, he sat down at the table, and Hermione folded the paper to put it away. Draco took a deep breath in an attempt to regain control, running his hands through his hair. After a few more deep breaths, he finally leaned back, arms crossed in front; only his wide eyes betrayed his outward calm.

"Why? I thought you wanted to leave on Thursday?"

"I know," she replied, leaning forward, head in hand and her gaze focused on him. "Yesterday was too much. I couldn't sleep because everything kept cycling in my mind— especially that feeling of not being able to do anything, being scared to lose my daughters. _Our_ daughters."

"I was scared too–"

"I know. It's just... _I _need a break. So much happened in the past week, I haven't really had a chance to process it all. And I did ask for a Portkey for four people."

"_Four_ people? You mean...?"

"Yes. Come with us."

His jaw was taut and his gaze was narrow and seemed far away; he was contemplating and analysing the options. After what felt like an eternity of silence between them, he let out a sigh. "I planned to come with you on Thursday, you know? I need a day at least to organise everything–"

"I understand," she replied, trying to hide her disappointment behind another smile; she was still relieved that he wasn't too mad at her for her rash decision to leave today.

"I would really love to come with you, but I can't promise to make it on time." His smile finally returning, he rose to his feet to get another coffee. Lifting the mug to his lips, he turned around, eyebrow raised. "Didn't we have a rule to discuss things like this back then?"

"Maybe. I don't quite remember, it's been such a long time." Shaking her head in amusement at his teasing tone, she chuckled. "Maybe we need to repeat that _discussion_?"

This time, Draco was fast enough to put his mug down before he joined her chuckles. "Gods, I really missed you..."

..

"Mum? Where's Dad? I thought he wanted to come with us?" Eleanor asked as they were waiting at the Ministry for their Portkey back to France.

Hermione checked her watch once more, letting out a nervous sigh. They were scheduled to leave in mere minutes and there was no sign of Draco. She had been looking forward to showing him their house, their neighbourhood, and sharing the magic of Paris with him.

"Where is he?" she mumbled, pacing up and down in the waiting area while her daughters had taken seats, watching her with concerned expressions.

"Maybe he'll take the next one?" Iris said in a comforting tone, just as the door opened to the Portkey room, and someone called for the passengers waiting on the Portkey to France.

With a sinking heart, Hermione ushered her daughters into the room; she had lost hope that he might come running in at the last moment. At least Ernestine had agreed to be there to welcome them home, with a promise to have a batch of red currant ice cream ready. "Come on, let's go home..."

..

"I hate Portkeys!" Iris lamented as they finally stumbled into the house. "They always make me feel sick! Ugh!"

"Right? Everything swirls and turns... Hey, wait for me!" Hurriedly, Eleanor pulled off her shoes and ran after her sister. They were heading to the living room, where Iris kept her brooms.

Alone now, Hermione took a deep breath and took in the comforting scents of her own house: the lingering scent of parchment, the faint remains of all the cooking aromas coming up from the kitchen, and the smell of the old woodwork throughout.

It was home.

A weight fell off her shoulders, but it there was still something missing for this to be a perfect homecoming. She damned herself for her own rashness in her desire to return home; she really should have given him more time!

With a heavy sigh, Hermione slowly followed her daughters to the living room to see what they were up to. As she passed the stairs, she could hear their chatter from above, mixed with their typical giggles—she loved the sound and how it filled the house with life.

Still listening to the faint chatter from upstairs, she finally entered the living room, in the mood to pick up her previously forgotten book from the lounge table. She was glad that they had changed their plans and ran upstairs immediately, giving her some time to collect her thoughts.

Taking a few steps into the room, she suddenly stopped and gasped. "Draco! How-How...? I thought you...!"

"I said '_I can't promise to make it on time_,'" he replied with the biggest smirk she had ever seen on his face, gloating about the success of the surprise. He rose from the sofa on which he had been waiting. "I called in a favour, and I wanted to surprise you, so I bent the truth a little this morning–"

"You idiot!" Giddy now from the relief, Hermione ran over to him, tackling him back onto the sofa and landing on his lap. "Seriously!"

"_Your_ idiot, remember?" Running his hands up her thighs and her lower back, he kissed her, soft and ardently at first, but growing more eager and demanding with each renewed touch of their lips. "I won't let you go this time, my love."

"Shh..." Right now, Hermione wasn't in the mood for words. All she wanted was to keep kissing—she finally had him to herself. He was here, with her, and he chose her over his job, his own home, his parents.

As she deepened the kiss, her hands buried in his hair while his were occupied with her linen top, she mentally thanked her daughters for switching places.

She had never been more grateful as in this moment. And never happier.

This time, they would make it.

**END**


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